Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $29 Million For Head Start Programs In Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that eight organizations around Illinois will receive a total of nearly $30 million in federal funding to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This funding comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that allocates funding, provides technical assistance, and helps build strategic partnerships in … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Introduce Bill To Implement And Expand Online SNAP Purchasing Nationwide
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced a bill to address hunger needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond by requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand online Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchasing choices by enabling additional retailers to participate in the program. The Expanding SNAP Options Act would provide funding for the creation of a universal online and app-based portal to make … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Schumer And Wyden To Introduce New Legislation To Extend Expanded Unemployment Insurance & Require Program Continue Providing Benefits Until Economic Conditions Improve
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to introduce the American Workforce Rescue Act, bold, new legislation that would establish "automatic stabilizers" to ensure unemployment benefits remain available for working families during periods of persistent unemployment, a priority for Senate Democrats in the next COVID-19 bill. The proposal would extend the $600 increase in weekly unemployment … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Duckworth Speaks with SEIU Healthcare Leaders About COVID-19 Impact at VA Facilities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke with Greg Kelley, President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Kansas, and other SEIU Healthcare leaders today about the COVID-19 response at Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital and Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Medical Center and the important work staff has done throughout the pandemic. The group discussed SEIU Healthcare's main priorities, which include obtaining more personal protective … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Duckworth Announces Blanket Hold on Senior Military Confirmations Following Reports of Trump’s Unprecedented Political Interference into Military Promotion Process
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, announced her intention to block Senate confirmation of 1,123 senior U.S. Armed Forces promotions until Secretary of Defense Mark Esper confirms in writing that he did not, or will not, block the expected and deserved promotion of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman to Colonel. Duckworth's move, which is unprecedented in … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Duckworth Speaks with Indian Ambassador to the United States
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with India's Ambassador to the U.S., Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Duckworth and Singh Sandhu discussed the partnership between the two nations and opportunities to cooperate in the Indo-Pacific region as the world recovers from COVID-19. "Ambassador Singh Sandhu and I had a positive discussion today about the relationship between our two nations and opportunities to work together in the future," Duckworth said. "I look forward … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Gillibrand, Grassley & Cruz in Proposing Bipartisan NDAA Amendment to Improve Military Prosecution of Serious Crimes
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) to offer the bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act as an amendment to this year's National Defense Authorization Act. The Military Justice Improvement Act would professionalize how the military prosecutes serious crimes, like sexual assault, by moving … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Entire Senate Dem Caucus To Trump Administration: Don’t Rip Away Health Care For Millions During Public Health Crisis
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As the Trump Administration moves full-steam ahead to dismantle the Affordable Care Act that provides coverage for millions of Americans, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus today to introduce a resolution condemning the Administration's reckless effort, demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) to defend existing law in court and halt its efforts to repeal the health care … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Introduce NDAA Amendment To Increase National Production of Testing Supplies And PPE As COVID-19 Cases Rise
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to introduce an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 (NDAA) that would require President Trump to unlock the full authority and power of the Defense Production Act to scale up nation-wide production of the testing supplies, personal protective equipment, and medical equipment needed at the local level to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "Trump's … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Warren, García and Lee to Introduce Legislation to Extend Nationwide Moratorium on Evictions
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and U.S. Representatives Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-04) and Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) to introduce legislation to extend and expand the eviction moratorium for renters that ends on July 24, 2020. The Protecting Renters from Evictions and Fees Act extends the federal eviction moratorium to March 27, 2021, one year after the date of enactment of the CARES Act, and … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Senate Environmental Caucus Co-Chairs Welcome Development of Historic National Economic Transition Platform for Coal Country
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tom Carper (D-DE), co-founders of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, issued the following statement in response to the National Economic Transition (NET) Platform published by local, regional and national organizations today to give policymakers recommendations for an ambitious national transition program that supports the people and places hit hardest by our changing energy landscape. "As our national … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Duckworth, Kelly, Davis & Rush Discuss Police Violence in the Black Community at Virtual Roundtable
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Danny Davis (D-IL-07) and Bobby Rush (D-IL-01) today hosted a virtual roundtable with local leaders to discuss legislative solutions to help make systemic changes to policing and better support the Black community, including the Justice in Policing Act, of which Duckworth is a co-sponsor. The Members were joined by New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Stephen Thurston, My Block, My … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Bipartisan Effort to Urge EPA to Reject Retroactive Biofuel
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) helped to lead a bipartisan letter with Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reject petitions for Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for past compliance years. In the letter, the Senators warn that granting these petitions would worsen the unprecedented economic challenges facing the biofuels … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Senate Environmental Caucus Co-Chairs Welcome Development of Historic National Economic Transition Platform for Coal Country
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tom Carper (D-DE), co-founders of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, issued the following statement in response to the National Economic Transition (NET) Platform published by local, regional and national organizations today to give policymakers recommendations for an ambitious national transition program that supports the people and places hit hardest by our changing energy landscape. "As our national … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Duckworth Demands Answers on Russian Bounties for Killing American Troops
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, spoke on the Senate floor today on the reports that Donald Trump has known for months that Russia secretly offered bounties to militants for the killing of American troops, but has done nothing to protect those troops. Yesterday, Duckworth sent a letter to SASC Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) to demand a Senate … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Duckworth Statement on Supreme Court Protecting Women’s Constitutional Right to Choose
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Supreme Court struck down a restrictive attempt by Louisiana to further limit women's access to reproductive healthcare and protected every woman's Constitutional right to choose: "For nearly 50 years, every woman in America has had a Constitutionally-protected right to make her own healthcare decisions without the government getting between her and her doctor. While I'm pleased that today's … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Duckworth Commends Marine Corps for Banning Confederate Battle Flag and Navy for Following Suit
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth today wrote to General David Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, commending his leadership on prohibiting the public display of the Confederate Battle Flag on United States Marine Corps (USMC) installations. Duckworth recently penned an op-ed in TIME about the need to stop honoring traitors to our country and the important role that renaming these bases and military assets could play in promoting unit cohesion. Duckworth … Continue Reading
June 28, 2020
Duckworth Demands Senate Armed Services Hearing on BountyGate
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, is demanding a Senate hearing to get to the bottom of reports that Donald Trump has known for months that Russia secretly offered bounties to militants for the killing of American troops, but has done nothing to protect those troops. In a letter to SASC Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK), Duckworth wrote: “I … Continue Reading
June 27, 2020
Duckworth to Demand Senate Hearing on BountyGate
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, will demand a Senate hearing to get to the bottom of reports that Donald Trump has known for months that Russia secretly offered bounties to militants for the killing of American troops, but has done nothing to protect those troops. The Senator issued the following statement regarding the reports: "First, Donald Trump … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Duckworth Joins Reps. Garcia and Schakowsky As They Lead IL Delegation In Urging Trump to Continue Funding COVID-19 Testing Sites
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Representatives Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) as they led Illinois delegation members in a letter to President Trump urging him to continue funding COVID-19 testing sites. The administration previously announced it would stop funding coronavirus testing sites in five states including Illinois. "From the man who says, 'I don't kid,' Trump is showing us exactly what he means when he says he … Continue Reading
