Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin Urge EPA to Strengthen Safe Drinking Water Protections in Illinois and Nationwide
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's Fisheries, Water and Wildlife Subcommittee-which has legislative jurisdiction over the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act-and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen the Safe Drinking Water Act's Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, the Senators … Continue Reading
March 31, 2021
Duckworth Joins Hirono in Reintroducing Impact Aid Bill to Fund School Infrastructure Projects
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN) and their colleagues last week in introducing legislation to support school infrastructure projects. The Impact Aid Infrastructure Act (IAIA) would provide $1 billion in supplemental funding for school infrastructure construction grants in Fiscal Year 2022 through the Impact Aid program. Similar legislation was introduced in the House of … Continue Reading
March 30, 2021
Following Duckworth’s Efforts, DOJ Pledges to Improve Investigations and Prosecutions of Hate Crimes against Asian Americans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after Attorney General Merrick Garland announced an internal review into the ways the Department of Justice (DOJ) can improve and prioritize its investigations and prosecutions of hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community: "The spike in anti-Asian American hate is a real-and deadly-national crisis. It's time the DOJ bring to bear the full force of its resources to … Continue Reading
March 30, 2021
Duckworth Applauds President Biden’s Actions to Support AAPI Community
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement in response to President Biden announcing that his Administration will implement a variety of initiatives designed to protect and empower the AAPI community: "The AAPI community has endured a difficult, heart-wrenching year. We were the target of hateful, offensive rhetoric from the previous President. We experienced a spike in hate crimes, violent assaults and discrimination. And we are still mourning a … Continue Reading
March 30, 2021
Duckworth Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Make Sure All Internationally Adopted Children Can Gain Citizenship
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in introducing the Adoptee Citizenship Act. The bipartisan bill would close a loophole in the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA) that has prevented internationally adopted children, who are now adults, from receiving U.S. citizenship despite being raised by American parents. "Because of a technicality under … Continue Reading
March 26, 2021
Duckworth, Hirono Re-introduce Legislation to Prevent Atrocities Like Mass Japanese American Internment from Happening Again
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) yesterday introduced the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2021, a bill that would establish a clear legal prohibition against un-American policies that seek to imprison individuals solely on the basis of race, religion, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability. With the rising number of anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate crimes and … Continue Reading
March 25, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $1 Million for Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $1,003,770 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration to the Williamson County Airport Authority to help the Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois with COVID-19-related expenses. "Our Illinois airports are important economic engines for the state, and making sure they continue to have the support they need to operate safely during the COVID-19 … Continue Reading
March 25, 2021
Duckworth Discusses COVID-19 Relief with Cook County Leadership
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) held a virtual meeting today with Cook County officials to discuss how resources from President Biden's recently-enacted American Rescue Plan will support the county and its residents. They also discussed federal and local efforts to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, such as through the local My Shot campaign, and the county's equity-focused vaccine initiatives including "pop-ups" and mobile vaccination sites for seniors, educators, … Continue Reading
March 25, 2021
Duckworth Joins Klobuchar, Krishnamoorthi and Cárdenas for Bicameral Introduction of Baby Food Safety Legislation
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29), today introduced the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021, a bicameral bill to dramatically reduce toxic heavy metals in baby food, educate parents about the risks and invest in cutting edge farming technology to reduce any economic barriers to making baby food safe for consumption. "Parents deserve to have peace of mind that the … Continue Reading
March 25, 2021
Duckworth Urges USPS Board of Governors to Immediately Fire Louis DeJoy
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) called on the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors to immediately fire Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General of the United States (PMG) and Chief Executive Officer of USPS, for cause. Duckworth's request to the Board of Governors follows the disclosure of PMG DeJoy's horrific vision for the USPS over the next 10 years, which would weaken the Postal Service and further delay critical shipments like lifesaving … Continue Reading
March 25, 2021
Duckworth, Hirono, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Condemning Anti-Asian Hatred, Discrimination Related to COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), along with 35 of their Senate colleagues, introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of anti-Asian sentiment, racism and discrimination, as well as call on federal officials, in collaboration with state and local agencies and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community organizations, to address the rise in COVID-19-related hate crimes. The resolution was introduced in the wake of the Atlanta … Continue Reading
March 25, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $5.5 Million for Illinois Veterans’ Homes to Protect Against COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $5.5 million in federal grant funding to the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) for upgrades to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. This funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and appropriated by Congress though the CARES Act. The funds will reimburse the state for upgrades and improvements to air purification, ventilation, and … Continue Reading
March 25, 2021
Duckworth, Murray, Hirono, Lee Reintroduce EACH Act to Guarantee Abortion Coverage Regardless of a Patient’s Insurance
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) today reintroduced the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Healthcare (EACH) Act, a bicameral bill to guarantee abortion coverage-regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance. The EACH Act ends the Hyde Amendment and lifts unjust abortion coverage restrictions for those who … Continue Reading
March 25, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $71 Million in FEMA Reimbursement Funding For Illinois COVID-19 Response
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois has been awarded a total of $71.9 million in federal grant funding to offset costs related to COVID-19 testing and response. The funding, provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), covers the costs of the collection of COVID-19 tests, equipment rentals, and supplies procured by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) from January 20, 2020 through August 31, … Continue Reading
March 24, 2021
Senate Committee Unanimously Passes Duckworth’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Rebuild our Nation’s Water Systems
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee unanimously passed bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today aimed at modernizing and investing in our nation's crumbling water infrastructure. The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 (DWWIA 2021) was introduced yesterday and comes after water crises earlier this year across the South-including in Texas, Oklahoma and Mississippi-left millions of American … Continue Reading
March 24, 2021
Duckworth Calls on SBA to Ensure PPP Application Process is Simple and Timely
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today called on the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure that the Paycheck Protection Program's (PPP) loan forgiveness process is as simple as possible. In a letter to SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman, Duckworth urged the SBA Administrator to ensure the agency was asking only for documentation required under the law, and noted the importance of … Continue Reading
March 24, 2021
Duckworth, United CEO Discuss Transportation Industry Recovery
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) virtually met with Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, yesterday to discuss the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on the airline industry. Duckworth and Kirby also discussed President Biden's recently-enacted American Rescue Plan and how it will help the transportation industry, as well as the importance of future infrastructure legislation and investment. "Our airline industry workers have been hit hard by this pandemic, but I'm proud of … Continue Reading
March 23, 2021
Duckworth & Warner Urge Biden Administration to Address Pervasive Food Insecurity among Military Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) last week sent a letter to the Biden administration urging it to develop concrete steps to tackle the alarming rate of food insecurity many military families currently face. In their letter, the Senators also urge the administration to appoint an individual from within the Department of Defense (DoD) to lead efforts to tackle the issue of food insecurity as it affects mission readiness as well as troop … Continue Reading
March 23, 2021
Duckworth Leads Introduction of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Rebuild our Nation’s Water Systems
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works' (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, today introduced bipartisan legislation to invest in our nation's crumbling water infrastructure. Duckworth was joined by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Ranking Member of the … Continue Reading
March 23, 2021
GAO Accepts Duckworth, Casey and Hassan Request for Review of Child Care Accessibility for Parents and Children with Disabilities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL); Bob Casey (D-PA), Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions' Subcommittee on Children and Families; and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), member Subcommittee on Children and Families issued the following statements after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) accepted their recent request to study the barriers parents and children with disabilities face in accessing child care. The GAO study is set to begin … Continue Reading
