Press Releases
Duckworth Slams Trump Administration for Purging Top Military Leadership While Pushing DoD Cuts, Both of Which Will Harm Readiness and National Security
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Yesterday, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—slammed President Trump and his Administration for putting our military readiness and national security at risk by firing our nation’s top military leaders while the Administration continues to push for 8% cuts to the defense budget for the next five years. Additionally, Duckworth expressed her outrage that Donald Trump is siding with Russian dictator … Continue Reading
February 23, 2025
Duckworth Speaks at Asian American Coalition of Chicago’s Lunar New Year Celebration
[ROSEMONT, IL] - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered remarks at the Asian American Coalition of Chicago’s 42nd Annual Lunar New Year Celebration, hosted by the Indonesian American Community, in Rosemont. Duckworth highlighted the historic contributions of the Asian American community, her Asian heritage and the importance of celebrating diversity despite President Trump’s recent attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). “Every Lunar New Year is an opportunity to … Continue Reading
February 23, 2025
Duckworth, Garcia Discuss Economic and Staffing Impacts of Trump’s Mass Deportation Actions with Local Hospitality Leaders in Chicago
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-4) and local elected officials yesterday joined Chicago hospitality and restaurant industry leaders over lunch to discuss how Trump’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation raids have negatively affected the business community and their employees. In her remarks, Duckworth discussed how immigrant workers form the backbone of Chicago’s hospitality and restaurant industries, … Continue Reading
February 23, 2025
Duckworth Meets with Little Village Small Business Leaders to Discuss Economic Impacts of Trump’s Tariffs in Chicago
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday met with leaders from the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, local elected officials and small business owners to discuss how Trump’s tariff threats and recent deportation raids threaten the local economy. After the Magnificent Mile, Little Village’s 26th Street business district is Chicago’s second most lucrative business corridor with many businesses relying on small business loans. In her remarks, Duckworth also spoke about how … Continue Reading
February 22, 2025
Duckworth Hosts Roundtable with Local Chicago Federal Employees Impacted by Trump’s Mass Federal Layoffs
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today hosted a roundtable discussion with local Chicago-based federal employees from seven different agencies who have been affected by Trump’s chaotic federal layoffs and Elon Musk’s reckless funding cuts, including multiple probationary employees who have been terminated. During the roundtable, Duckworth also highlighted the ways she is working to push back on Trump’s lawlessness at the federal level. “In the wake of Donald Trump and Elon … Continue Reading
February 21, 2025
Senate Republicans Block Duckworth-Booker Amendment to Help Make IVF More Affordable for Middle-Class Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Despite claiming to support IVF, Senate Republicans blocked an amendment led by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) from being included in the Senate’s budget proposal that would mirror their Right to IVF Act and help lower the costs of IVF treatment for the millions of middle-class Americans who need it to have children. This comes days after President Donald Trump signed an overly vague, toothless executive order requesting policy recommendations … Continue Reading
February 21, 2025
Duckworth Votes Against Senate GOP’s Budget Proposal That Would Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires at the Expense of Middle-Class Americans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after voting against Senate Republicans’ disastrous budget proposal that would fund tax cuts for billionaires—while doing nothing to help middle-class families struggling with rising costs: “In the dead of night, Senate Republicans rammed through a budget to greenlight massive tax cuts for billionaires at the expense of middle-class Americans who are struggling to get by due to rising costs. Worse yet, … Continue Reading
February 20, 2025
Duckworth Slams SecDef Hegseth’s Order to Cut Defense Budget by Eight Percent for the Next Five Years
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—issued the following statement after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the military to reduce the defense budget by 8% for the next five years, jeopardizing our servicemembers, our national security and military readiness: “Abrupt far-reaching cuts to our defense budget won’t make Americans, our servicemembers and their families safer. I’m all for … Continue Reading
February 20, 2025
Duckworth Leads Fellow Democrats on Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in Demanding CFPB Immediately Restart Operations to Protect Veterans and Servicemembers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs (SVAC)—led her fellow Democratic SVAC colleagues Ranking Member Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) in demanding that the Trump Administration and unelected billionaire Elon Musk immediately restart operations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), specifically sounding the alarm about the dangerous impacts that … Continue Reading
February 19, 2025
Duckworth Demands More Detailed Explanation of Mass FAA Layoffs in the Wake of Multiple Deadly Crashes
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the CST Aviation, Space and Innovation Subcommittee—is demanding a more detailed explanation from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau on why the FAA abruptly fired hundreds of employees in the wake of multiple deadly airplane crashes. In her letter, Duckworth is requesting multiple answers … Continue Reading
February 19, 2025
Duckworth Joins Blumenthal, Senators in Demanding VA Secretary Collins Put Veterans First and Reverse Mass Terminations of VA Employees
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—joined U.S. Senator and SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of 34 Democratic Senators calling on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated last week who serve Veterans and their families nationwide, including critical employees addressing … Continue Reading
February 19, 2025
Duckworth Reaction to Trump’s Latest Betrayal of Our Partners in Ukraine in Favor of Authoritarian Dictator Vladimir Putin
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s latest false claims about Russia’s unjustified war and his outrageous prioritization of Vladimir Putin over our partners in Ukraine: “Trump’s latest comments parroting Vladimir Putin’s talking points are a complete betrayal of the Ukrainian people, American leadership and our values. By inviting Putin to visit the U.S., suggesting President Zelenskyy is a … Continue Reading
February 19, 2025
Duckworth, Hirono, Takano Renew Push to Prevent Atrocities like Mass Japanese American Internment from Happening Again
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, on the anniversary of Executive Order 9066 that began the horrific internment of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Mark Takano (D-CA-39) re-introduced the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act, a bill that would establish a clear legal prohibition against un-American policies that seek to imprison individuals solely on the basis of race, religion, … Continue Reading
February 18, 2025
Duckworth Statement on Trump’s Mass Federal and VA Layoffs That Are Jeopardizing Veterans’ Access to Care and Leaving Veterans Jobless
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after President Donald Trump laid off more than 1,000 “probationary” employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and purged thousands of federal employees, including many Veterans who devoted their lives to service: “In the wake of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s mass federal layoffs, I’m continuing to hear from Veterans who suddenly found themselves jobless—including some Veteran federal … Continue Reading
February 18, 2025
Duckworth Votes Against Confirming Howard Lutnick to Serve as Commerce Secretary
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST)—released the following statement after voting against Howard Lutnick’s nomination to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Senate confirmed Lutnick by a vote of 51-45. “I cannot vote for any nominee who won’t publicly pledge without hesitation that they’d refuse an unlawful order from President Trump—and Mr. Lutnick failed that … Continue Reading
February 18, 2025
Duckworth Statement on Trump’s Overly Vague, Toothless IVF Executive Order
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—author of the Right to IVF Act that would protect individuals’ rights to access IVF and make it more affordable for middle-class Americans, Veterans and military families—released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that requests policy recommendations to ensure reliable access to IVF: “Don’t be fooled. Donald Trump’s executive order does nothing to expand access to IVF. In fact, he’s … Continue Reading
February 18, 2025
Duckworth Joins Durbin, Casten, Illinois Delegation Members' Letter to Protect Regional EPA Workers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) and members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin urging him to reconsider reported plans to terminate more than 1,100 probationary EPA employees, including many based in Illinois. “We are deeply concerned about the negative impacts such terminations—done … Continue Reading
February 14, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Help Unveil Bill to Raise Minimum Age to Buy Assault Weapons
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On the seventh anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) in announcing legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21, the same age requirement that already applies to … Continue Reading
February 13, 2025
At AFGE Fireside Chat, Duckworth Urges Federal Employees to Be Wary of Trump’s Dangerous Buyout Offers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined members of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Region 7 to discuss many of the issues facing union members and other federal employees under the Trump Administration, including the dangerous federal buyouts being offered by President Trump and Elon Musk. In her remarks, Duckworth urged federal employees who have been offered a buyout to be wary of accepting, emphasizing that Trump is deliberately intimidating … Continue Reading
February 13, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Renew Bipartisan Push to Approve Sale of E15 Year-Round
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—founding co-chair of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Caucus—and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) and a bipartisan group of Senators in reintroducing the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. This legislation would allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10%—ending years of regulatory uncertainty and preventing a patchwork of uneven state regulations. … Continue Reading