Press Releases
Duckworth’s Friendly Airports for Mothers Improvement Act Passes House of Representatives
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)'s bipartisan Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Improvement Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives today and is now headed to the President's desk to be signed into law. The legislation, which passed the Senate in July, will ensure that small airports across the country support nursing moms and promote breastfeeding-friendly environments by providing accessible, clean and convenient lactation rooms for travelers. The bill builds … Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Duckworth, Bustos, Loebsack, Durbin, Grassley and Ernst Lead Bi-Partisan, Bicameral Modernization Effort to Utilize Unused Army Property
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) and Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) released a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to urge the authorization for the United States Army to launch a pilot program that certain users could access for details about Army real estate. This tool could resemble a … Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Cosponsor Legislation To Build Core Public Health Infrastructure Needed To Save Lives, Fight Threats Like COVID-19
WASHINGTON- This week, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 16 of their Democratic Senate colleagues to introduce the Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act (PHISLA). The legislation would establish a new core public health infrastructure program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with up to $4.5 billion in annual funding to bolster the nation's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and strengthen its … Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Duckworth Statement on the Passing of Former Rockford Mayor John McNamara
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement on the passing of former Rockford, Illinois, Mayor John McNamara: "I'm saddened to hear of the passing of former Mayor John McNamara. His dedication to the people of Rockford and to improving his city was impressive, and I know he will be missed. Through his leadership, he worked to make his community and Illinois a better place. My thoughts are with his loved ones, friends and the people of Rockford." … Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Federal Funding For Gun Violence Prevention Research
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Northwestern University has been awarded more than $500,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the effects of gun violence. This is the first time in more than 20 years that federal funding has been appropriated for research related to firearm violence prevention at the CDC after Congress passed the Dickey Amendment in 1996, which … Continue Reading
September 30, 2020
Duckworth Introduces Bill to Improve Disaster Response and Recovery Plans in Prisons
WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation that would ensure prison disaster response and recovery plans protect the health, safety and civil rights of incarcerated individuals during a presidential disaster declaration. Duckworth's legislation follows reports of health and safety violations within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and state prisons during recent major disasters such as Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Correctional facilities must be … Continue Reading
September 30, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Brown, Baldwin to Blast Trump Administration for Failing to Protect Workers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and 18 of their Democratic colleagues, calling on the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Eugene Scalia to take immediate action to protect workers from COVID-19 exposure, illness and death on the job. In their letter, the Senators urge Scalia to instruct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue an Emergency Temporary … Continue Reading
September 30, 2020
Duckworth Statement on the Continuing Resolution to Fund the Government
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement regarding the continuing resolution to fund the government through December 11, 2020. "I'm glad that Democrats and Republicans came together to avoid shutting down the federal government in the midst of a global pandemic. With that said, I'm deeply disappointed that Republicans continue to refuse to come to the table to address our country's most dire need: comprehensive relief from the COVID-19 public … Continue Reading
September 30, 2020
Duckworth, Murkowski Urge Senate Leadership to Include Head Start Funding in Next COVID Relief Package
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) sent a bipartisan letter to Senate leadership requesting that any future COVID-19 relief package include emergency funding for Head Start programs that have experienced an uptick in operational costs due to expanded programming and services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Head Start programs deliver high-quality, evidence-based education and comprehensive services to children across the country and during this … Continue Reading
September 29, 2020
Duckworth Speaks To Illinois VFW On Its 121st Anniversary
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today on the 121st anniversary of the founding of The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW), combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke with VFW Department of Illinois's Legislative Committee Director Jay Hoffman to discuss the organization's legislative priorities. They also discussed the Senator's efforts on important issues impacting Veterans in Illinois and across the nation, including Veteran access to full benefits and high-quality healthcare. … Continue Reading
September 28, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $8 Million For COVID-19 Vaccine Preparedness In Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded $6.2 million to the Illinois Department of Public Health and $1.9 million to the Chicago Department of Public Health to help prepare for an eventual distribution of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, upon regulatory review from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The funding, which is from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and … Continue Reading
September 26, 2020
Duckworth Statement Following Trump’s Announcement of his Nominee for the Supreme Court
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court. "With barely a month before Election Day, Americans across the country are already casting their ballots to select our next President, the majority of whom think the person elected on November 3rd should select the next Supreme Court nominee. The deadly COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 200,000 Americans … Continue Reading
September 25, 2020
With Application Deadline Approaching, Duckworth Seeks Additional Student Applications for U.S. Military Service Academies
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - The application period for high school students to request a nomination to a U.S. Military Service Academy for the Class of 2025 from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will close one week from today, on Friday, October 2. Duckworth's office has been accepting applications from high school students seeking a Congressional nomination to one of the four Military Service Academies through her website since March. Each year Duckworth, with the assistance of a nomination … Continue Reading
September 25, 2020
Duckworth Speaks with Acclivus to Discuss Efforts to Help Underserved Communities in Chicago
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with Acclivus President LeVon Stone and Program Director Bamani Obedele to discuss the work and services provided by the organization. Acclivus is a community health organization that focuses on the health and well-being?of individuals living in Chicago's most vulnerable neighborhoods. "Far too many people in Chicago and across our country have been forced to deal with the harmful impact of violence in their communities and … Continue Reading
September 25, 2020
Duckworth Discusses Small Business Development with Chinese Mutual Aid Association
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today held a virtual roundtable with staff and board members of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA) to discuss small business development, as well as the organization's response throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. CMAA was selected to be an Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and began running operations earlier this year, the only Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) SBDC in Illinois. "Starting and operating a small … Continue Reading
September 25, 2020
Duckworth Holds Virtual Fireside Chat on Racial and Ethnic Wealth Gap, 30th ADA Anniversary and COVID-19 Recovery with Chicago Community Trust
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, today participated in a virtual fireside chat hosted by Chicago Community Trust President and CEO Dr. Helene Gayle to discuss the Senator's efforts to close the wealth gap that exists between Americans of color and white Americans. In light of ongoing calls for racial equity and the recent passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Duckworth and Gayle also … Continue Reading
September 23, 2020
Duckworth, Schakowsky, Clay Applaud GAO Agreement to Investigate the Availability of Accessible Public Housing
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee and Congressman William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Chair of the Housing, Community Development and Insurance Subcommittee recently sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office requesting a report on the availability of affordable, accessible housing in the twenty-five largest metropolitan areas in the United … Continue Reading
September 23, 2020
Duckworth, Wyden, Kaine Introduce Bill to Prohibit Federal Law Enforcement Officers From Wearing Camouflage Patterns in the U.S.
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today introduced legislation to prohibit federal law enforcement officers from wearing camouflage patterns in the United States in most cases, since they can easily be confused for military personnel when doing so. At a House Armed … Continue Reading
September 23, 2020
Duckworth Honors the Legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Senate Floor
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor earlier today to honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's legacy. Senator Duckworth's remarks discussed a few of the ways that Justice Ginsburg's landmark decisions impacted her own military career and family life. Video of the Senator's speech is available here. Key quotes: "Ruth Bader Ginsburg helped make my career possible… she helped make my hope of one day serving in a combat role regardless of my … Continue Reading
September 23, 2020
Duckworth Statement on Proposal to Weaken the Endangered Species Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife that has jurisdiction over the Endangered Species Act, released the following statement after participating in a legislative hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to examine S. 4589, Endangered Species Act Amendments of 2020. Watch her full remarks here. "The Endangered Species Act plays a vital role in protecting species … Continue Reading
