In The News
Duckworth, Underwood’s ‘Demand Act’ Aims To Help Nursing Mothers After Natural Disasters
CHICAGO (CBS) - Taking care of infants during natural disasters like floods and tornadoes is a struggle for parents, but a bill heading to Capitol Hill is geared to help. A key element of The Demand Act would make sure nursing mothers can keep breastfeeding their babies. U.S. Congressman Lauren Underwood and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth say it will address current gaps in emergency assistance. The Demand Act would direct FEMA to develop clear guidance for how to support parents and babies … Continue Reading
January 29, 2022
Proposed bill seeks to offer breastfeeding resources after disasters
The bill seeks to 'streamline and standardize the process for those seeking breastfeeding equipment,' Rep. Lauren Underwood said. Rep. Lauren Underwood and Sen. Tammy Duckworth announced plans on Saturday to introduce legislation that would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide lactating people with more financial support following disasters. The Delivering Essentials to Mothers Amid Natural Disasters Act, or DEMAND Act, calls for FEMA to make breast pumps … Continue Reading
January 20, 2022
After January 6 attack, bill aims to help families of police officers who die by suicide
January 13, 2022
The VA's new mission: improve health of pregnant military veterans
WASHINGTON - After 20 years and nine deployments in the U.S. Army, Vivian Richards knows the importance of readiness. "Readiness is the biggest concern of any leader in the military," Richards told NBC News. "Do we have the personnel trained to the necessary level to go out and execute these combat missions?" In 2010, she took on a new mission: motherhood. But when it came time to deliver her baby while on active duty, the military health care system seemed anything but ready, Richards … Continue Reading
January 12, 2022
Sen. Duckworth to introduce bill that recognizes suicide as 'line of duty death'
(WSIL)-- Families of officers who died by suicide could soon get assistance in claiming federal benefits. The Public Safety Office Support Act would amend requirements for the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program. Currently, PSOB provides financial support to families of fallen first responders who died in the line of duty or are permanently disabled due to a physical injury sustained at work. The act would recognize suicides as 'line of duty' deaths according to U.S. Sen. Tammy … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Durbin, Duckworth, democrats call on Amazon to review safety procedures after Edwardsville warehouse collapses
(WSIL) -- U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with several other democrats sent a letter to Amazon urging the company to revisit its safety standards, emergency action plans, and employee training to protect employees during severe weather events. The request comes after an EF-3 tornado struck an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, resulting in devastating destruction and the death of six people inside the building. In their … Continue Reading
December 21, 2021
Sen. Duckworth on legislation to improve airline handling of mobility, medical devices
Disabled travelers in the United States often face embarrassing security pat downs, damaged or even lost mobility devices. In July, there were 834 reported incidents of damaged wheelchairs or scooters- an average of 28 a day. For more about the challenges and needed response, Judy Woodruff talks to an Illinois Democrat, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who introduced legislation to hold airlines accountable. Judy Woodruff: These are just some of hundreds of stories that are almost exactly like what … Continue Reading
December 02, 2021
Sen. Tammy Duckworth Calls Going Back to Work After Having a Miscarriage 'Inhumane'
December 02, 2021
Infrastructure law accelerates Chicago’s push to make CTA stations accessible
More than 31 years after Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 of Chicago's "L" stations still lack the elevators and other upgrades they need to be fully accessible. Those aging stations could get upgraded sooner than expected, thanks to a provision pushed by U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth that was included in the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill recently signed into law by President Joe Biden. The legislation sets aside $1.75 billion in grants for transit agencies … Continue Reading
November 30, 2021
President Biden signs veterans’ maternal health bill sponsored by Rep. Underwood, Sen. Duckworth
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a bill requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve maternal health for vets, legislation Illinois Democrats Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Rep. Lauren Underwood championed, earning enough GOP support that it was waved through the House and Senate. "It's an important step in making sure we meet the needs of American mothers who have served," Biden said at a bill-signing ceremony Duckworth and Underwood attended. Getting a stand-alone … Continue Reading
November 26, 2021
Will infrastructure money finally solve Cahokia Heights’ flooding and sewage problems?
A metro-east community beleaguered for more than 40 years by flooding and sewage has struggled to secure money to fix millions of dollars in problems. But elected officials say the new federal infrastructure deal should pay for repairs. Nonstop sewage and flooding issues caused by decades of neglect have affected residents of Cahokia Heights, the city formed by the merger of Alorton, Centreville and Cahokia. Cahokia Heights plans to use $2.8 million in COVID-19 relief money for repairs, but … Continue Reading
November 18, 2021
Duckworth’s Afghanistan commission set for inclusion in defense bill
A proposal by Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth to create an independent commission to examine U.S. government failures over two decades of war in Afghanistan looks like it will be included in the Senate's version of the annual defense policy bill. Speaking with CQ Roll Call on Thursday, Duckworth, a retired Army pilot who lost both her legs when her helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004 and now serves on the Armed Services Committee, said her amendment to the National Defense … Continue Reading
November 16, 2021
'It's Shameful:' New Law Tackles Maternity Care for Female Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs will be able to invest more in maternity care for female veterans and the federal government will be required to study the health of active-duty and former service members who have had babies or are trying to get pregnant after Congress passed legislation Tuesday. The Protecting Moms Who Served Act, passed by the House in a 414-9 vote and now heading to President Joe Biden for a signature, allows the VA to spend $15 million to improve coordination between … Continue Reading
November 16, 2021
Duckworth touts drinking water infrastructure funds in bipartisan bill
The bipartisan infrastructure package signed Monday by President Biden contains a bill streamlining funding for water infrastructure projects, a provision that its sponsor, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), hopes will mean "a difference made in people's lives every day." In an interview with The Hill Tuesday, Duckworth called the measure in question, the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021, "the backbone of all the water infrastructure in this larger bill." The provision … Continue Reading
November 15, 2021
New infrastructure funding will help expand access to transit for people with disabilities
Because of the passage of the new bipartisan infrastructure legislation, nearly $2 billion is coming to transit agencies across the country to help address an accessibility gap. "We've never had a separate fund set aside for disability access improvements for mass transit stations," Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth told CBS News in a recent interview. "This is really significant. We are going to see real improvements very soon." Some 20% of all transit stations in the U.S. are not in … Continue Reading
November 14, 2021
Thousands of military families struggle with food insecurity
SAN DIEGO (AP) - It's a hidden crisis that has existed for years inside one of the most well-funded institutions on the planet and has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. As many as 160,000 active-duty military members are having trouble feeding their families. That estimate by Feeding America, which coordinates the work of more than 200 food banks around the country, underscores how long-term food insecurity has extended into every aspect of American life, including the … Continue Reading
November 08, 2021
Infrastructure Bill Could Open New Doors for Amputees
It wasn't easy, but Congress finally passed the much-debated bipartisan infrastructure bill last week. As we noted two months ago, when the Senate passed its version of the legislation, this bill includes some significant gains for amputees and other people with disabilities. The biggest of those is the $1.7 billion All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP), which will bring all bus, train, subway, and other mass transit stations across the country into (belated) compliance with the Americans … Continue Reading
November 07, 2021
Illinois to get at least $17 billion from President Biden infrastructure bill; could be more
WASHINGTON - The $1 trillion infrastructure bill, once signed into law by President Joe Biden, will pour an astounding $17 billion into Illinois for projects with the prospects of billions more from competitive grants. "It's easily the biggest infrastructure package in decades," wrote Brookings Senior Fellow Adie Tomer. "To put that new spending in perspective, it's nearly enough to increase total federal infrastructure spending to the same average levels as during the New Deal. It's safe to … Continue Reading
October 22, 2021
Senators urge Biden to award Presidential Medal of Freedom to creator of Military Women’s Memorial
WASHINGTON - Twenty senators, all women, urged President Joe Biden on Friday to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to retired Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught, who broke barriers for women during her military service and later helped create the Military Women's Memorial. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who both served in the military, sent a letter to Biden asking that he award the medal to Vaught at his first opportunity. Eighteen other senators signed onto the … Continue Reading
October 20, 2021
Sen. Duckworth stresses need to regulate PFAs chemicals after local Sugar Camp Mine Fire
(WSIL) -- U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) says government agencies must put more focus on eliminating PFAs chemicals. Duckworth briefly spoke during a 90-minute hearing by the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works about evaluating the federal response to the persistence and impacts of PFAs chemicals in the environment. Duckworth says PFAs chemicals seep to the ground and present a dangerous risk to public health for decades to come. Duckworth mentioned a Chicago … Continue Reading
