Press Releases
Senate Confirms David Capozzi to Amtrak Board of Directors’ Duckworth-created Disability Advocate Seat
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and author of the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act—celebrated the United States Senate voting by voice vote to confirm David Capozzi to serve on Amtrak’s Board of Directors as the Boards’ designated disability advocate—a seat created by a provision Duckworth authored and successfully included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. On Amtrak’s … Continue Reading
December 21, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin Applaud Senate Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Help Ensure Public Employees Receive Full Social Security Benefits
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) applauded the Senate passage of the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act to ensure public sector workers and their families are able to receive full Social Security benefits after two previous statutes reduced them. The legislation—whose Senate companion Duckworth and Durbin helped cosponsor alongside U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Susan Collins (R-ME) and 58 other U.S. Senators—would repeal the … Continue Reading
December 21, 2024
Duckworth Votes to Avert Another Harmful Trump Shutdown
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Senate passed legislation to keep our government open and spare working families the pain of a shutdown, sending it to the President’s desk to be signed into law: “With tonight’s vote, we’re avoiding yet another needless and harmful Trump government shutdown, supporting our farmers and delivering critical emergency disaster relief to help working Americans in red and blue states alike, … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin, Illinois Delegation Urge EPA to Fund Cleanup of Chicago Area Waterway System
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), today sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore urging her to immediately allocate funds under the Great Lakes … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Duckworth, Colleagues Applaud Senate Passage of Their Bipartisan Bill to Provide TSA PreCheck to Veterans with a Disability
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Todd Young (R-IN), Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) applauded Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to provide Veterans with service-connected disabilities with expedited screening under the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) PreCheck program. While TSA PreCheck is already offered to active duty, Reserves and National Guard servicemembers at no cost, the Veterans Expedited TSA Screening (VETS) … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Duckworth-Capito-Molinaro-Payne Bipartisan Bill to Promote Accessibility at Amtrak Stations Passes House, Set to Become Law
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)—both members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST)—applauded the House passage of their bipartisan legislation to help break down unnecessary barriers for Americans with disabilities at Amtrak rail stations across the country. Building on Duckworth’s All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act, which became law as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $4.3 Million in Federal Funding fro Math Education
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $4,338,911 in federal funding going to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees through the U.S. Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research grant program. This award will support professional development for school principals and math educators to increase math proficiency of students. “When we invest in our children’s education, we help set them on a … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
In Meeting with Japanese Ambassador, Duckworth Touts How NDAA Provisions She Secured Will Help Bolster Our Nations’ Alliance
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees—this week met with Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shigeo Yamada to discuss some of the ways the two countries could build on their shared priorities and strengthen their bilateral alliance. During the meeting, the Senator shared how the modified version of her Access to Care for Overseas Troops Act that was included in the Fiscal Year … Continue Reading
December 19, 2024
Duckworth, Booker Urge CMS to Issue Guidance on Expanding Fertility Treatment Coverage
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) led colleagues in urging Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to provide guidance to states on expanding coverage for fertility services, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), through their benchmark plans before the end of 2024. In the Senators’ letter, Duckworth and Booker also emphasized the importance of making fertility treatments more accessible and … Continue Reading
December 19, 2024
Duckworth Discusses NDAA Priorities to Strengthen Indo-Pacific Partnerships with Filipino Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—met yesterday with Filipino Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez. In their meeting, the two discussed their shared ongoing priorities as well as some of the ways Senator Duckworth is working to strengthen the alliance between the U.S. and the Philippines while bolstering security in the Indo-Pacific region through the … Continue Reading
December 19, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin Secure Illinois Wins in Water Resources Development Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), founding Co-Chair of the Senate’s first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus, and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Environmental Justice Caucus, today highlighted several critical provisions they successfully secured for Illinois in the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, which passed the Senate and will head to President Biden’s desk. These provisions - ranging from adjusting the cost … Continue Reading
December 19, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin, Stabenow, Peters Secure Increase in Federal Cost Share to Help Protect the Great Lakes in Final 2024 Water Resources Development Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) lauded the inclusion of their provision to increase the federal cost share for the Brandon Road Project in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), which passed the Senate last night. Under the provision, the federal government will pay 90 percent of the operation and maintenance costs for Brandon … Continue Reading
December 19, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin, Foster Celebrate Passage of Resolution to Name Fermilab Research Center After Renowned Physicist Dr. Helen Edwards
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today applauded the House and Senate passage of their bicameral resolution, included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, to rename Fermilab’s Integrated Engineering Research Center (IERC) after the late Dr. Helen Edwards, who worked at Fermilab as a particle physicist for 40 years. The IERC is home to new office and lab space that … Continue Reading
December 18, 2024
Duckworth Statement on Senate Passage of Bipartisan NDAA That Provides Pay Raise to Our Troops, Bolsters Readiness and Supports Servicemembers and Their Families at Home and Abroad
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—secured several important provisions in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the Senate today to support our servicemembers and their families, enhance strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region, improve logistics to bolster readiness and energy resiliency as … Continue Reading
December 18, 2024
Duckworth, Young, Senators Reintroduce Bill to Provide TSA PreCheck to Disabled Veterans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in reintroducing bipartisan legislation that would provide Veterans who have service-connected disabilities with expedited screening under the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) PreCheck program. While TSA PreCheck is already offered to active duty, Reserves and National Guard servicemembers at no cost, the Veterans Expedited TSA Screening … Continue Reading
December 18, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $1.9 Billion Funding Agreement with FTA to Support Chicago's Red Line Extension Project
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Danny K. Davis (D-IL-07) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) intends to sign a full funding grant agreement for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)’s Red Line Extension Project. The funding agreement will contractually … Continue Reading
December 18, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin, Sorensen Call for Extension of Federal Funding for Chicago-Quad Cities Passenger Rail Project
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg urging him to grant an extension for the federal funding secured for the proposed Chicago-Quad Cities passenger rail project, an Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline, Illinois. In their letter, the lawmakers emphasized that progress has been made in the planning phase of the … Continue Reading
December 17, 2024
Aviation Safety Subcommittee Chair Duckworth Joins DOT Secretary Buttigieg to Celebrate New Rule Enhancing Protections for Airline Passengers with Disabilities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the CST Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—joined U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to celebrate the new finalized rule to expand the rights of passengers with disabilities in air travel. This rule mandates that airlines meet more stringent standards … Continue Reading
December 17, 2024
Duckworth, Senators Question Hegseth Nomination, His Disqualifying Views on Women in the Military, Allegations of Sexual Assault
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)—members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—joined U.S. Senators and fellow SASC members Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) in sending a letter to Susan Wiles, President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Chief of Staff, about whether Pete Hegseth’s attitudes toward women and allegations of sexual assault and … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Duckworth Discusses Agricultural Priorities with Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) President Brian Duncan and IFB members to discuss shared priorities to grow Illinois’s agriculture industry and support our farmers. In their meeting, Duckworth and the members discussed the importance of supporting our family farmers at home by expanding biofuels production, increasing agricultural export markets and improving farm safety net programs. Photos from the Senator’s meeting can be … Continue Reading
