Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin, Hassan and Colleagues Call for Greater Support for Students with Disabilities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and 22 of their colleagues in calling for greater support for students who experience disabilities in upcoming COVID-19 response legislation. The funding would help ensure that school districts have more resources to continue to provide students who experience disabilities a free and appropriate public education as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Availability of Nearly $570 Million in COVID-19 Relief for K-12 Education in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today 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 allocation, which the Illinois State Board of Education can apply for by July 1, 2020, is part of the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) stimulus that both Duckworth & … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Bustos, Kinzinger Discuss COVID-19 Response with Illinois Hospitals
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16) today, on a call with more than 30 CEOs of Illinois hospitals and leaders of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association and Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois and how hospitals are fighting the pandemic on the ground. The bipartisan members of Congress thanked the … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Harris, Colleagues Call on DOJ to Proactively Address Coronavirus-related Anti-Asian Discrimination, Hate Crimes
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and 13 colleagues in urging the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division to take concrete steps to address the surge in discrimination and hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) individuals. These steps are similar to those DOJ has taken in the past to address jumps in discrimination and hate crimes against a particular community. The … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Call for $26 Billion in Next Coronavirus Relief Package to Support Research Workforce
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and 31 of their Senate colleagues today in advocating for protections for the U.S. scientific research community during the coronavirus pandemic. Although coronavirus-related research is a current federal government priority, most other research has slowed or stopped due to closures of campuses and laboratories. The people who comprise the research … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Call for $26 Billion in Next Coronavirus Relief Package to Support Research Workforce
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and 31 of their Senate colleagues today in advocating for protections for the U.S. scientific research community during the coronavirus pandemic. Although coronavirus-related research is a current federal government priority, most other research has slowed or stopped due to closures of campuses and laboratories. The people who comprise the research … Continue Reading
May 01, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Call For Tax Credit Expansion To Help Working Families During Coronavirus Economic Downturn
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in leading a group of 34 other Senators in a letter to Senate Leaders calling for a temporary expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the next coronavirus relief package. As the economic effects of COVID-19 are expected to last into next year, this would put money back in the pockets of … Continue Reading
May 01, 2020
Duckworth, Colleagues Urge USDA To Target Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Relief To Local Farmers
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and a bipartisan group of 23 Senators in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to target relief through its newly-created Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to reach local farmers. While the bipartisan CARES Act stimulus that Senator Duckworth voted to pass specifically provides direct assistance to local food producers, USDA has … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Letter Urging the CFPB to Reinstate Vital HMDA Data Collection
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and 15 of their Senate colleagues in urging Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger to reverse her decisions to suspend the quarterly reporting of information under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) during the COVID-19 pandemic and halt reporting of all HMDA data for lenders. Eliminating these reporting requirements could allow discrimination … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Duckworth Speaks with Emergency Physicians from Across Illinois about the COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke by phone with Illinois members of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) about the COVID-19 pandemic and their efforts to ensure any re-opening plan includes a clear strategy to avoid unsafe medical practices or a potential spike in COVID-19 cases. Duckworth and the emergency physicians also discussed the urgent need for more testing capacity, personal protective equipment (PPE) and hospital funding. "It was a … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Duckworth Speaks with Illinois Legislative Black Caucus about the COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), co-founder of the Senate's first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus, spoke by phone with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus about the COVID-19 pandemic. During this call, Duckworth discussed the shortcomings of recent relief packages and highlighted priorities she will push for in a future bill, including more funding for state and local governments, additional money for unemployment insurance and SNAP, more PPE for frontline and … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Call for $50 Billion in Childcare Relief in Next Coronavirus Package
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in leading 27 of their Senate colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to include their plan for $50 billion in childcare relief in the next coronavirus package, saying it is an indispensable part of the nation’s response to the pandemic. The plan outlines steps to stabilize the childcare system, keep providers in business, and ensure parents are able … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Call for More Funding for Social Service Nonprofits in Next Coronavirus Relief Bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) AND Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) in leading a group of 25 Senators to urge Senate leadership to include additional emergency funding for nonprofit organizations in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Nonprofits are an essential part of the frontline coronavirus pandemic response, providing important social services such as nutrition assistance, shelter for those experiencing homelessness, child care and education … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Senate Democrats To Announce Bill To Increase National Production Of Medical Supply Chain
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today to announce legislation that lays out a framework for an effective COVID-19 response by increasing production and adding oversight and transparency to the supply chain for critical medical supplies and equipment. The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act requires the President to utilize all available authorities under … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth Condemns Trump’s Plan to Unnecessarily Gather 1,000 Cadets for His West Point Graduation Speech, Raises Concerns with Army Secretary
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and West Point’s Board of Visitors, condemned Donald Trump’s plan to gather 1,000 cadets for a West Point graduation speech in the midst of the COVID-19 public health crisis and expressed her concerns to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy in a phone call this week.“Trump’s reckless decision to gather 1,000 Cadets at West Point for a speech puts our future military … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Call for More Funding for Social Service Nonprofits in Next Coronavirus Relief Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) in leading a group of 25 Senators to urge Senate leadership to include additional emergency funding for nonprofit organizations in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Nonprofits are an essential part of the frontline coronavirus pandemic response, providing important social services such as nutrition assistance, shelter for those experiencing homelessness, child care and education … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Discuss COVID-19 Relief and Labor Protections with Illinois AFL-CIO
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with Tim Drea, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO, and the Illinois AFL-CIO executive committee. On a call with the Illinois AFL-CIO, Durbin and Duckworth shared their priorities for the next COVID-19 relief package, including federal assistance for COBRA health coverage, strengthening unemployment insurance, and providing state and local governments financial … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Bicameral Letter Urging Federal Communications Commission To Coordinate With Other Federal Agencies To Inform Low-Income Families They Can Receive Broadband Services
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Marcia Fudge (D-OH) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) in leading 139 of their colleagues in both the House and Senate to urge Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to work directly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that the millions of Americans who are now eligible for the … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Urge Administration to Ensure Support for Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and a group of 12 Senate colleagues in urging the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to ensure that immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other serious crimes can continue to access programs during the COVID-19 pandemic through which they can obtain legal status independent of abusers and … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Bustos Statement on BOP's Decision to Designate Thomson Prison a 'Quarantine Location'
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today released the following statement in response to the announcement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson has been designated as one of 11 nationwide "quarantine locations" for thousands of newly-admitted inmates to the federal prison system. "We are disturbed to learn that BOP is preparing to transfer hundreds of … Continue Reading
