In The News
Durbin, Duckworth heap praise on Inflation Reduction Act passage
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) praised the Senate's passage on Sunday of the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to address climate change, prescription drug prices, Obamacare subsidies and corporate taxes. "This plan is fully paid for by finally cracking down on Big Pharma greed and tax cheats, and closing tax loopholes exploited by wealthy corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes-and no one earning less than $400,000 a year will pay more in taxes because of our plan," Durbin said … Continue Reading
August 04, 2022
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth shares her experience with assault weapons as she advocates for ban
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Senator Tammy Duckworth's background and position provide a stepping off point for ABC7's "Our Chicago: Stop the Violence" special coverage that begins Friday morning. Duckworth brings a unique and unusual vantage point on one of Chicago's most pressing issues: gun violence. The Democratic senator - who describes herself as the daughter of a marksman and a marksman herself - is also mother of two young girls, an Iraq War veteran, and a Purple Heart recipient. She is also a … Continue Reading
August 04, 2022
Senators introduce bill to help people with disabilities access reproductive health care
Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Patty Murray introduced legislation Thursday to help bridge the gap in reproductive health care access for people with disabilities in the wake of the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade. The bill, called the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, would provide funding for training and education programs focused on reproductive health care specifically for this group of people. It also would add more doctors and nurses with disabilities to the … Continue Reading
July 31, 2022
Senator warns mounting airline wheelchair breakages destroy people's freedom of movement. 'Wheelchairs are complex medical devices, not just suitcases to be tossed around.'
Senator Tammy Duckworth has told Insider that "we cannot rest" as many wheelchairs are being broken every day amid the airline chaos. The Democratic senator from Illinois, who uses a wheelchair, was commenting on the numerous reports of wheelchairs being broken and damaged as airlines struggle to cope with the summer demand. In an email to Insider, Duckworth said: "We would never accept airlines breaking the legs of 1 in 65 passengers, and yet, that is essentially what is happening when 1 … Continue Reading
July 29, 2022
Durbin, Duckworth pressure Walgreens on birth control policy
Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are putting pressure on Walgreens Boots Alliance to revise a policy they say allows Walgreens employees to refuse to sell contraceptives to customers based on workers' religious or moral beliefs. The two lawmakers sent a letter to Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer yesterday, inquiring about the policy and asking for a meeting. The letter follows reports that customers have been denied contraceptives at Walgreens locations, including a recent incident in … Continue Reading
July 27, 2022
Senator Tammy Duckworth calls on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban
At least 371 mass shootings have been recorded since the start of 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which has led to a growing debate in Congress over how to keep Americans safe. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth joins CBS News to discuss the action she is proposing to reduce gun violence nationwide. WATCH … Continue Reading
July 26, 2022
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth suggests a 'national FOID card,' assault weapons ban as remedies for mass shootings
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) says while this year's bipartisan firearms legislation was a good first step, a lot more needs to happen to tamp down on gun violence in America in the wake of a July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park, Ill. "I would like to see a nationwide reinstatement of the assault weapons ban, which was allowed to expire in 2004," she said. Duckworth said the biggest killer of children under the age of 16 is gun violence in the United States. "A big portion of what's … Continue Reading
July 21, 2022
Duckworth and Rotering give emotional testimony at Senate gun panel
Highland Park Mayor Nancy R. Rotering on Wednesday took her call for a federal ban on assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines to the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing room filled with North Shore officials and residents still reeling from the Fourth of July mass shooting that left seven people dead and many others injured. "The most disturbing part [is] this is the norm in our country," Rotering said. "Highland Park had the uniquely American experience of a Fourth of … Continue Reading
July 20, 2022
Senator Tammy Duckworth sponsoring legislation targeting price gouging
(WSIL)- Inflation, we talk about it almost every day now, but while we're paying more for everything from gas to groceries some corporations are reaping record profits and they're not being quiet about it. Dozens of CEO's have bragged about jacking up prices higher than just adjusting to inflation. One being the CEO of a medical company who boasted in the company's quarter one 2022 earnings call that his team did a "amazing job" of driving higher prices. "More than offset the amount of … Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
Sen. Duckworth urges lawmakers to ban civilian sale or transfer of military style rifles
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth urged her colleagues Thursday to ban the civilian sale or transfer of powerful military style rifles. They have been used in recent mass killings, including the Fourth of July massacre in Highland Park. Duckworth is trying to revive a proposed assault weapons ban that's languished with no action since it was introduced 16 months ago. It has dozens of Democrats as cosponsors, and no Republicans - prompting an appeal by Duckworth. "I plead with … Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
One-on-One with Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Guns, Abortion Rights
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) renewed calls for an assault weapons ban after meeting with Highland Park residents following the July Fourth mass shooting. Duckworth, alongside Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) met with residents and members of March Fourth, a gun safety advocacy group, Tuesday to hear more about their experiences as well as discuss policy solutions. "We cried together and we shared our grief, but also our anger," Duckworth said. "The moms who initiated the meetings and the … Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
Duckworth and Durbin pass resolution honoring Highland Park parade victims
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) - Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) passed a Senate resolution Thursday honoring the seven people killed at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade. During the city's Fourth of July parade, Robert Crimo III allegedly climbed a rooftop and opened fire on a section of the parade to kill seven people and injure 46 others. The Senate resolution also thanked the first responders, medical professionals, and counselors for serving the Highland Park … Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin establish Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park
(KFVS) - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation to establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historical Park. This park would include sites in Prairie du Rocher, Kaskaskia, and Fort de Chartres. "Illinois has a rich and storied history that I hope that residents and visitors alike will get to appreciate. This year, we celebrate the city of Prairie du Rocher on its 300th anniversary," Durbin said. "With this legislation, I hope to see … Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
After Highland Park parade massacre, Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s lethal attack on assault weapons
WASHINGTON — The assault rifle is a well-designed weapon, said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., in a Senate floor speech Thursday. Duckworth did go to the Senate floor to praise assault weapons. But this was no product endorsement aimed at everyday consumers. She was there to plead with Senate Republicans to join in and vote to ban the sale of weapons of war to civilians. For an “evil purpose, a semi-automatic rifle is the perfect weapon, because it is lightweight, portable and … Continue Reading
July 13, 2022
Duckworth calls out Big Oil amid high inflation
Washington D.C. (KHQA) - Consumer prices soared 9.1% compared with a year earlier, the biggest 12-month increase since 1981, and up from an 8.6% jump in May. The ongoing price increases underscore the brutal impact that inflation has inflicted on many families, with the costs of necessities, in particular, rising much faster than average incomes. In response to soaring inflation, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) called out oil companies for not fully passing along the savings to consumers … Continue Reading
July 05, 2022
Sen. Tammy Duckworth Says Gunfire at Highland Park Parade Sounded Like Combat in Iraq
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth is a Purple Heart recipient and veteran of the Iraq War. While addressing reporters Monday after a gunman killed six and injured dozens more at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, she said hearing the gunfire in video of the shooting reminded her of being in a war zone. "The last time I heard a weapon of that capacity firing that rapidly on the 4th of July was Iraq," Duckworth, 54, said at a press conference. "It was not the United States of … Continue Reading
July 04, 2022
Duckworth wants permanent ACA subsidies
Duckworth Urges Senate Leadership to Extend ACA Subsidies: U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., was one of 13 Senate Democrats to urge leadership to make the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium tax credits permanent. The credits are otherwise set to expire at the end of the year. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the lawmakers said the move should come during the upcoming reconciliation legislation. “Americans deserve … Continue Reading
June 29, 2022
GAO to Study Healthcare Access for Amputees and People With Disabilities
Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of U.S. legislators navigated around the usual Capitol Hill gridlock to make important progress for amputees. Last week another group of U.S. senators made similar strides on behalf of a broader constituency: people with disabilities. Led by Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), one of just a few amputees in Congress and the only one in the Senate, the group of lawmakers persuaded the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to initiate a comprehensive study into the … Continue Reading
June 24, 2022
The senator, the soldier and the servant: Reuniting an Afghan aid worker with his family in Chicago
CHICAGO — For two decades, as the conflict in Afghanistan wore on, U.S. troops, diplomats and aid workers were helped by another type of army — the citizens of Afghanistan. They provided invaluable help as language interpreters, logistical coordinators and community relations liaisons. One example among the tens of thousands is Adel Haqyar, 47, who worked for a decade as a contractor for the United States Agency for International Development “I started my work with the Americans from March … Continue Reading
June 24, 2022
Illinois leaders react to the overturning of Roe v. Wade
CHICAGO - Local politicians and leaders are weighing in Friday after the Supreme Court reversed its landmark ruling on Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortions. Gov. J.B. Pritzker called the decision "an enormous step backward" and is calling the General Assembly into special session in the coming weeks to "further enshrine" reproductive protections. "In Illinois, we’ve planned for this terrible day, an enormous step backward and a shattering loss of rights," Pritzker said in a … Continue Reading