March 21, 2020

Duckworth, Durbin Call on Trump Administration to Do More to Bring Home Illinoisans Stranded Overseas

 

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) are calling on the Trump Administration to use its authorities under the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA) to do more to bring back Illinoisans as well as any other Americans who are currently stranded abroad as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao last night, the Senators call for the Administration to reactivate the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) readiness program and work with U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) at Illinois’s Scott Air Force Base and other federal agencies to swiftly expand our nation’s repatriation efforts for citizens overseas in countries where commercial flights are not available or accessible.

“We ask that the U.S. Department of State’s State Repatriation Task Force immediately work with U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and civilian air carriers who participate in CRAF, to swiftly expand CRAF readiness program operations to repatriate Americans overseas in countries where commercial flights are not available or accessible,” wrote the Senators. “The President has already publicly stated the DPA was being invoked in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the State Repatriation Task Force should be working with USTRANSCOM, USDOT and industry partners to efficiently execute the broad activation of CRAF chartered air transportation capabilities to countries such as Peru, where many Americans are stranded with no way to come home, including our constituents.”

The full text of the Senators’ letter to Secretaries Esper, Pompeo and Chao follows and is available here:

Dear Secretary Esper, Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Chao:

We are writing today to urgently request that pursuant the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), the Trump administration activate the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) readiness program.

Specifically, we ask that the U.S. Department of State’s State Repatriation Task Force immediately work with U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and civilian air carriers who participate in CRAF, to swiftly expand CRAF readiness program operations to repatriate Americans overseas in countries where commercial flights are not available or accessible.

The President has already publicly stated the DPA was being invoked in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the State Repatriation Task Force should be working with USTRANSCOM, USDOT and industry partners to efficiently execute the broad activation of CRAF chartered air transportation capabilities to countries such as Peru, where many Americans are stranded with no way to come home, including our constituents.

If aircraft made available by domestic air carriers who participate in the CRAF readiness program are not sufficient to bring every American home, we also request that USDOT and DOD search each agency’s respective aircraft fleets to identify additional aircraft that could be used to repatriate Americans desperate to come home during this crisis.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of our urgent request and we look forward to receiving a timely response on what actions are being taken to activate the CRAF readiness program and mobilize air carriers to provide aircraft to transport Americans from Illinois and throughout the country back to their families and homes safely.

Sincerely,

Related Files