In The News
Duckworth makes waves
en. Tammy Duckworth, for the first time in her career, sits in a congressional majority. And she's making the most of it. Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat up for reelection next year, holds no committee chairmanships and isn't in congressional leadership. But only three months into the Democrats' majority, the first-termer is racking up legislative wins in the narrowly divided chamber and extracting concessions from the White House. "I have a very long list of things I want to get done," … Continue Reading
April 22, 2021
No child should be exposed to pollutants just by drinking water from the kitchen tap
The water was brown - a murky, mud-like, tragic brown. Until that moment, I had never even considered that a color could be tragic in itself. It was years ago, in the middle of a House Oversight Committee hearing on the Flint water crisis. At the time, my older daughter was just a year old. I remember looking out into the audience and seeing a mom holding a baby bottle that looked exactly like the one my baby drank out of - a little bottle, with a pink top. Unlike my daughter's bottle, … Continue Reading
April 22, 2021
Bill to combat hate crimes against Asian Americans passes Senate with bipartisan support
The Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation Thursday designed to more forcefully investigate hate crimes, particularly those against Asian Americans after the March 16 shootings at three Atlanta spas and a wave of violence following the spread of the coronavirus from China last year "To our Asian American friends: We will not tolerate bigotry against you. And to those perpetrating anti-Asian bigotry: We will pursue you to the fullest extent of the law. We cannot - we cannot - allow … Continue Reading
April 21, 2021
There's a new push to ban the sale of crib bumpers
As a new mom, it can be hard to keep track of what's safe and unsafe for baby—especially when items like crib bumpers, which have been linked to dozens of pediatric deaths, are sold in stores across the country. Lawmakers are working to make things a little less confusing. This week, Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Rob Portman (R-OH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) proposed the Safe Cribs Act, which is a bill that would ban the sale of crib bumpers. According to … Continue Reading
April 20, 2021
Bipartisan bill would ban crib bumpers, linked to dozens of infant deaths
Three senators, two Democrats and one Republican, are set to introduce legislation Tuesday that would ban the sale of crib bumpers, which have been linked to dozens of deaths and more than 100 serious injuries of sleeping infants since 1985. Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut are cosponsoring the Safe Cribs Act, which would require the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban the … Continue Reading
April 19, 2021
Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Hate Crimes, Racism, And Environmental Justice
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) has been tackling racism on multiple fronts recently, particularly against Asian Americans. A bill aimed at curbing anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic finally picked up bipartisan support last week, which Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) sponsored and Duckworth supported. And following criticism from Duckworth and Hirono on a lack of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in his cabinet, President Joe Biden last … Continue Reading
April 16, 2021
Tammy Duckworth: As eligibility opens up, get vaccinated
This week, our state reached an important milestone in our efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic: as of Monday, every Illinoisan 16 and up is eligible to be vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19. It's an incredible feat, and it is even more incredible when you think back to where we were one year ago. One year ago, we were in the depth of our first stay-at-home order, disinfecting our groceries before bringing them into the house and wondering when-or even whether-we'd be … Continue Reading
April 14, 2021
Sen. Duckworth Calls for DOJ Probe of 'Brazenly Violent' Police Treatment of Black Army Officer
A retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Senate is calling on the Department of Justice to investigate whether there is an "unlawful pattern or practice of conduct" at the police department in Windsor, Virginia after officers held a uniformed Guard officer at gunpoint and doused him in pepper spray. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking DOJ to investigate whether Windsor police regularly engage in searches … Continue Reading
April 09, 2021
Sen. Duckworth: Anti-Asian hate crimes 'notoriously underreported'
Amid a nationwide rise in anti-Asian hate, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D., Ill.) wants the Department of Justice to look back at crimes committed against Asian Americans to determine if those crimes should have been classified as hate crimes. "Hate crimes against AAPIs [Asian American and Pacific Islanders] are notoriously underreported - and in fact, they're often classified as a mugging or vandalism or arson," said Duckworth in an interview with Yahoo Finance. "There's a lot more work that needs … Continue Reading
April 06, 2021
Tammy Duckworth pressures postal service board on firing DeJoy
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) on Monday called on her supporters via Twitter to urge the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors to remove Postmaster General Louis DeJoy after the board said the former Trump donor "continues to enjoy the Board's full support." Duckworth late last month sent a letter to Board of Governors Chairman Ron Bloom and other board members calling on them to "take immediate action" in firing DeJoy in response to his 10-year plan to limit financial losses, … Continue Reading
April 01, 2021
Durbin, Duckworth push to make Bronzeville church where Emmett Till’s funeral was held a National Historic Site
Last month, Sens. Duckworth and Durbin introduced a bill to make the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ building, 4021 S. State St., a National Historic Site. Now they've penned a request to the National Park Service to conduct a reconnaissance survey of the church, a step in the process of making it a historical site in the National Park System. "We believe Roberts Temple, which is in dire need of structural repair and rehabilitation, should be designated as a new unit of the … Continue Reading
March 31, 2021
U.S. Lawmakers Are Finally Introducing a New Bill on Baby Food Safety
On Friday, March 26, a group of democratic lawmakers will introduce a new bill focused on toxic heavy metals in baby food. The bill would set new maximum levels for toxic heavy metals, including inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, in both baby food and cereal, as well as require compliance from manufacturers within one year. The Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 would also stipulate that the levels be lowered further within two years with FDA guidance and after three years with … Continue Reading
March 29, 2021
Duckworth: Social media habits hold clues to extremists in the military
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) on Monday suggested that the Pentagon find a way to examine the social media habits of incoming and existing service members who show tendencies toward extremist views. "It's not a new thing, but I will tell you that I have seen over the last probably two decades this growing radicalization of a portion within the military. And I think part of it too comes with social media consumption," Duckworth, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, said at The Hill's Future of … Continue Reading
March 25, 2021
‘No Excuses Left For Inaction’: Sen. Duckworth Asks USPS Board To Fire DeJoy ‘For Cause’
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) on Thursday called on the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors to fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy “for cause” over his “pathetic” 10-year strategic plan, the latest sign that Democrats are dead-set on dislodging the Trump appointee from his post. Key Facts In a letter to the board of governors, which currently has a 4-2 Republican majority, Duckworth said the plan demonstrates that DeJoy is a “clear and present … Continue Reading
March 24, 2021
Duckworth withdraws pledge to hold up Biden appointees as White House offers a senior staffer to hear Asian American and Pacific Islander concerns
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth has withdrawn her vow to put a hold on President Joe Biden's government nominees over a lack of Asian American and Pacific Islander representation after the White House vowed to hire a senior official to hear the community's concerns. Duckworth, the first Thai American in Congress, raised the issue of AAPI representation in the White House at a time of increasing fears over violence against the community in the aftermath of a shooting in Atlanta earlier this … Continue Reading
March 23, 2021
Emmett Till’s funeral site may become national monument
It was the site of the funeral of a 14-year-old Black boy whose badly disfigured face shocked the world and helped spark the Civil Rights Movement. Today, efforts are underway to designate the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Bronzeville a national monument, 66 years after it hosted the funeral of murdered teenager Emmett Till. On Tuesday, March 16, several U.S. Senators, including Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), introduced a bill that would … Continue Reading
March 21, 2021
Sen. Tammy Duckworth Calls For ‘Deeper Investigation’ Into Hate Crimes Against Asian-Americans
WASHINGTON (CBS Chicago/CBS News) - U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) on Sunday called on FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland to take a deep look at hate crimes against Asian-Americans. On CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday morning, Duckworth - the first Thai American elected to Congress - said people simply don't believe Asian-Americans are hate crime victims. "The problem is the crimes often are not reported as a hate crime or race-motivated crime at the … Continue Reading
March 21, 2021
‘Unspeakable tragedy after a year of unfathomable cruelty’: Sen Duckworth responds to Atlanta killings
ST. LOUIS - Illinois U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, the first Asian-American member of the state's congressional delegation, testified Thursday during a House Judiciary subcommittee on violence directed at the Asian-American community. The hearing was meant to confront the rise in anti-Asian-American attacks in the year since the coronavirus pandemic and came just days after 8 people, including six Asian-American women, were murdered at spas in Atlanta. Authorities are still investigating if … Continue Reading
March 20, 2021
Warner, Duckworth Call for Action on Military Families’ Food Insecurity
Upset that a promised report on ways to address the hunger that many military families suffer is overdue, Sen. Mark Warner is calling for steps to make sure military families have enough to eat. Warner and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, this week asked Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to provide a Department provide a plan to address military families' food insecurity and hunger issues by April 15. They said such a plan should consider ending … Continue Reading
March 19, 2021
Duckworth on anti-Asian American rhetoric: ‘We can fight back against this rise in extremism’
WASHINGTON – The shootings in Atlanta that killed eight people – six were Asian women – is throwing a spotlight on violence against Asian Americans, “but frankly, it’s been ongoing for a long time now,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said on Friday. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Atlanta on Friday, refocused a trip planned before the Tuesday massacre, canceling a car rally, instead meeting with members of the Atlanta Asian American … Continue Reading
