In The News
MSNBC: Sen. Duckworth: Military force against peaceful protesters a ‘betrayal of the troops’
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, tells Lawrence O'Donnell that top military leaders need to "stand up" to President Trump when his orders are unlawful, instead of being the president's "lap dogs who are willing to follow him in battle dress … Continue Reading
June 01, 2020
Tammy Duckworth: Fight for the justice that George Floyd Didn't Get
(CNN) First, he said "I can't breathe." Then, he called out "mama" for his late mother. Last Monday, in Minneapolis during broad daylight, George Floyd was slowly, publicly killed by someone whose responsibility was to "protect and serve." Then-Officer Derek Chauvin, who has since been rightly fired, spent at about three minutes ignoring Floyd's cries of pain-refusing to move his knee from Floyd's neck, refusing to let up even as the man under him begged for life and lost consciousness. Then … Continue Reading
May 30, 2020
Senators call for investigation into Pulaski County jail amid COVID-19 outbreak
ULLIN - U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are calling on federal oversight agencies to investigate conditions at the Pulaski County Detention Center amid a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility. In a letter sent Friday, Illinois' two Democratic senators called on the investigatory arms of the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Homeland Security to "immediately investigate urgent public health concerns" for detainees and facility staff. Durbin and Duckworth write … Continue Reading
May 28, 2020
Senators Ask Labor Inspector General for Review of OSHA’s Work During the Coronavirus Pandemic
On Wednesday, a group of senators called on the Labor Department inspector general to review the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's actions during the novel coronavirus pandemic following criticism the agency is not doing enough to protect workers. Former officials and lawmakers have called on OSHA to have a more active role during the pandemic and issue an emergency temporary standard to protect frontline workers from the virus. The AFL-CIO filed a lawsuit against OSHA earlier … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Support Grows to Secure Federal Benefits for Activated National Guard Members
A push to extend the orders of more than 39,000 National Guard members long enough to secure their federal retirement and education benefits now has growing bipartisan support in Congress and the backing of Pentagon leadership. The current orders set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency end June 24 -- one day shy of the 90 days needed to qualify for these benefits. In an appearance on NBC-TV's "Today" show May 22, Defense Secretary Mark Esper gave his qualified support to extending … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
A plan for a compensation fund for essential workers and their families was just announced by a bipartisan group in the House and Senate
Democratic and Republican lawmakers unveiled on Thursday a plan to provide a compensation fund for essential workers and their families who have become ill or died from the coronavirus. The "Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act" would provide compensation to essential workers across a variety of industries, including grocery, retail, delivery, transit, janitorial services, healthcare, and other jobs whose workers have responded to the pandemic. It would also account for family members who became … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth join lawmakers seeking federal Arbery death investigation
A call for a federal investigation into the death of Georgia man Ahmaud Arbery includes Illinois lawmakers. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) signed a letter involving over 80 House and Senate colleagues, in which lawmakers asked for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to being a criminal civil rights investigation. They also asked for an independent organization into how local authorities handled the case. A father and son, identified as Gregory and Travis McMichael, … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
President Trump 'delusional' to think COVID-19 will just go away: Sen. Tammy Duckworth
Illinois's junior senator, Tammy Duckworth, blasted President Donald Trump and his administration Tuesday for the response to the coronavirus pandemic, calling Trump "delusional" after he's made comments recently suggesting the virus will eventually just go away and that testing isn't as important as some critics are saying it is for reopening the country. "The man is delusional, and has no basis in his thinking in any type of science... Here's the deal, if we want to reopen the economy, we … Continue Reading
May 09, 2020
Duckworth pushes for changes to CARES Act
A local senator is calling for changes to be made to the CARES Act. The package was signed into law last month to help families with newborn babies. However, the way the bill is currently written, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said it blocks families who had babies during this calendar year from getting the $500 economic impact payments right now. Instead they have to wait until they file their 2021 income taxes to take advantage. Duckworth said a tweak to the law should be made to allow … Continue Reading
May 08, 2020
Duckworth pushes fix for parents of babies born this year to get stimulus funds quicker
Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is calling for a fix to be made to the CARES Act, the coronavirus stimulus package that was passed and signed into law last month, to provide immediate help to families with newborn babies. The way the bill is written currently blocks families who had babies this calendar year out of getting the $500 child economic impact payments right now. Instead, they must wait until they file their income taxes in 2021 to take advantage of the … Continue Reading
May 08, 2020
Sen. Duckworth wants stimulus checks for parents of babies born this year
Almost all Americans who qualified for a stimulus check received theirs in the last month, but one key group currently doesn't meet the criteria for the much-needed relief: new parents. Since the program, as part of the CARES Act, is based on earnings for the previous year, parents of children born on or after January 1, 2020 have to wait one year to receive $500 per child, money that other eligible parents are already benefitting from. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., - along with a bipartisan … Continue Reading
May 08, 2020
Tammy Duckworth moves to assist newborn babies amid pandemic
Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is calling for a fix to be made to the CARES Act, the coronavirus stimulus package that was passed and signed into law last month, to provide immediate help to families with newborn babies. The way the bill is written currently blocks families who had babies this calendar year out of getting the $500 child economic impact payments right now. Instead, they must wait until they file their income taxes in 2021 to take advantage of the … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
A working mom’s quarantine life
Many American mothers experienced a profound shift in their lives - well beyond the mere loss of their routines - when the country began to grapple with the novel coronavirus two months ago. The working moms lucky enough to have avoided the virus or recovered from it are juggling jobs and child care with an intensity that has never before existed. They are home-schooling while working. They're preparing lunches while working. They're policing screen time while working - and dealing with the … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Nearly $570M in COVID-19 relief available for K-12 education in Illinois
U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin announced the availability of up to $569,467,218 in federal funding to support continued education for Illinois K-12 students whose schooling has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). CARES Act funds can be used by state and local leaders to support a variety of educational services including immediate e-learning needs, safety and health measures, and … Continue Reading
May 03, 2020
Sen. Tammy Duckworth deplores use of Nazi slogan at Chicago stay-at-home protest
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., on Sunday deplored the use of an infamous Nazi slogan at a Chicago protest against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. And she continued to slam President Donald Trump for his handling of the COVID-19 crisis and for ordering West Point cadets back to campus for his graduation speech. Duckworth, during an interview on MSNBC’s “AM Joy” with host Joy Reid, was asked about Trump’s upcoming West Point address and the protesters … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Sen. Duckworth: Trump recalling West Point cadets is a ‘failure in his role as commander in chief’
Sen. Tammy Duckworth tells Lawrence O'Donnell that Trump is "needlessly exposing" West Point cadets to coronavirus by forcing them to return to New York for his address that could impact military readiness if they get sick: "It's the ultimate in narcissistic behavior by this president who can't seem to sink low enough when it comes to how he treats our … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Sen. Tammy Duckworth Says Trump Values TV Ratings Over Health Of West Point Cadets
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) blasted President Donald Trump's decision to bring 1,000 West Point cadets back to campus during the coronavirus pandemic so that he can give a speech to the graduating class. "Trump's reckless decision to gather 1,000 Cadets at West Point for a speech puts our future military leaders at increased risk - all to stroke his own ego," Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, said in a statement Wednesday. "Our troops need stable, consistent … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos sound alarm about federal inmate transfer after outbreak at Chicago facility
Three Illinois lawmakers sounded an alarm Friday over the transfer of at least 20 inmates from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, grappling with a COVID-19 outbreak, to a federal prison in northwest Illinois which has no confirmed cases. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and Rep. Cheri Bustos - all Illinois Democrats - said the Federal Bureau of Prisons should not have sent the prisoners to the facility in Thomson, Ill., without taking more safeguards. The prisoners … Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
Iowa and Illinois senators named to Trump's task force to reopen economy
U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, have been asked to serve on President Trump's task force advising him on when and how to reopen the economy. Last week the Trump administration assembled a bipartisan group of lawmakers consisting of 97 members of Congress to analyze the best way to restart businesses in the middle of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Sens. Duckworth and Durbin commented on their appointments to the task … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
RI Arsenal making ventilator and face shield parts
The Rock Island Arsenal is playing a critical role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing parts for respirators and frames for face shields desperately needed as medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies across the country are depleted. The loud hum of Fortus 900 printers and smaller 3-D printers filled the massive warehouse of the Arsenal's Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (JMTC) Friday afternoon, as U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., U.S. Sen. Dick … Continue Reading
