Press Releases
Duckworth Statement on Bipartisan Agreement to Provide Additional Support for Small Businesses, Hospitals and Health Care Workers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement today after the Senate passed a nearly $500 billion package to provide funding for small businesses, hospitals and health care workers: “After a week of stonewalling, I’m glad Republicans finally came to their senses and joined Democrats to support emergency funding for our hospitals and health care workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to struggling small businesses. … Continue Reading
April 21, 2020
New Duckworth-Durbin Legislation Would Give Americans the Freedom to Purchase Health Insurance During COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) previewed a forthcoming legislative proposal to provide uninsured Americans in Illinois and throughout the country the freedom to purchase health insurance coverage through the health insurance marketplace exchange by establishing a one-time special enrollment period beginning on May 1, 2020 and ending on August 1, 2020. The State of Illinois previously requested that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services … Continue Reading
April 21, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $4.9 Billion in State and Local COVID-19 Funding for Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $4.9 billion in state and local stabilization funds from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help offset the significant increased costs that state and local governments are facing from the COVID-19 pandemic. "The funding authorized by the bipartisan CARES Act stimulus is a good first step in … Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $108 Million For Illinois Emergency Education Block Grants
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $108,497,757 in federal funding to ensure education continues for students of all ages impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is a flexible emergency block grant designed to enable governors to decide how best to meet the needs of students, … Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Senate Democrats Urge Trump Administration to Protect Food Supply, Essential Workers During COVID-19 Crisis
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and 34 Democratic Senators to urge Vice President Mike Pence and other members of the Trump Administration to take action to help ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply and protect essential workers in the food supply chain. “It is vital that we do everything we can to protect food supply workers,” wrote the Senators. “Breakdowns in … Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
Duckworth Writes to Schumer & McConnell Requesting Funding for Environmental Justice Communities in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chair and co-founder of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, led 15 of her colleagues today in writing to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) requesting assistance in the fourth COVID-19 relief package for environmental justice communities-that are especially vulnerable to the virus and often found in high poverty areas that could challenge their recovery. Specifically, the Senators … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Bustos Tour Rock Island Arsenal, Discuss Efforts to Battle COVID-19
[ROCK ISLAND, IL] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today joined U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to tour the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence at the Rock Island Arsenal's Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center. The Members and McCarthy toured the Arsenal's 3D printing facility, where parts for Army-procured ventilators are being produced, as well as elements and parts of personal protective equipment (PPE) … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Duckworth Visits Chicagoland COVID-19 Response Centers
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Army Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy to tour key COVID-19 response centers in Chicago and Cook County to assess how the federal government can continue to support efforts to mitigate this public health crisis. Duckworth toured McCormick Place, which currently serves as a medical facility for diagnosed or highly probable COVID-19 patients, with Secretary McCarthy, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Duckworth Statement on GOP Efforts to Pit Hospital Workers & First Responders Against Small Businesses
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement today after funding ran out for the Paycheck Protection Program: “It’s a disgrace that Senate Republicans—all to score political points—have allowed SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program to go bankrupt in the middle of a crisis where small businesses are in desperate need of aid. And the fact is, Democrats and Republicans actually both agree that we have to add $250 billion this program. However, the … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Duckworth to Trump: Use Full Power of the Defense Production Act to Ensure Illinois First Responders Have PPE Needed to Safely Do Their Jobs
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today wrote to President Trump urging him utilize the full the power of the Defense Production Act (DPA) by ordering domestic manufacturers to prioritize U.S. orders to increase production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and requiring supply chain management companies to accept and prioritize U.S. orders to make sure the equipment is swiftly distributed to our communities. As Illinois prepares for an expected surge in COVID-19 … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Senators Press for Robust Federal COBRA Subsidies in the Next COVID-19 Legislation
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and 16 Senators in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to ensure that any forthcoming COVID-19 legislation include robust federal subsidies so that individuals who lose their job as a result of this pandemic can maintain their employer-sponsored health coverage. One option for Americans who lose their jobs, or drop below the hours necessary … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Press Join Bicameral Letter Urging Trump Administration to Ensure that Minority-Owned Small Businesses Are Not Shut Out of Paycheck Protection Program
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05) in leading Democratic lawmakers in calling for the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury Department to ensure that minority-owned businesses are not shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The lawmakers also called for the Administration to amend … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Press USDA to Provide Financial Relief for Illinois Pork and Beef Producers During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide immediate and direct financial assistance to help family pork and beef producers in Illinois. In a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Senators said such financial assistance would help with stabilizing cash flow and mitigate marketplace disruptions in the wake of the economic emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the … Continue Reading
April 16, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Urge HHS to Change Formula for CARES Act Health Provider Funding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) along with seven of their Senate colleagues, today expressed concern to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the front-line health providers and settings that were excluded from, or inadequately supported through, the $30 billion first round of CARES Act funding. In a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, the Senators urged the Department to alter the methodology for the next round of the CARES Act’s … Continue Reading
April 16, 2020
Duckworth Statement on Being Named to New White House Taskforce
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after being named to a new White House taskforce:“For the sake of the nearly 25,000 Americans who have already lost their lives to COVID-19—and the countless more that will succumb in the weeks and months ahead—I wish Donald Trump had been as eager to prepare our country for this pandemic as he is to rush towards normalcy when his own experts are warning ‘we’re not there yet.’“As a member of this … Continue Reading
April 15, 2020
Duckworth Speaks with Illinois Legislative Leaders to Discuss COVID-19 Response & Racial Disparities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke with Illinois legislative leaders at the state and local level today about the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial disparities that exist in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Illinois and across the nation. Recent reports showed that Black Chicagoans have made up 64 percent of the total deaths in Chicago despite only comprising only about 30 percent of the city's population. Duckworth spoke with Alderman Jason Ervin (Chicago Black Caucus … Continue Reading
April 15, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $70 Million to Support Illinois Airports Amid COVID-19
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that airports throughout Illinois will receive a total of $69,995,370 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address the COVID-19 crisis. These funds - which were authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - will help airport operators meet ongoing needs and to manage current construction projects as revenues have plummeted. "Making sure our airports across … Continue Reading
April 15, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $376 Million to Support O'Hare and Midway Airports Amid COVID-19
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports will receive a total of $376,743,810 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address the COVID-19 crisis. These funds - which were authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - will help airport operators meet ongoing needs and to manage current construction projects as revenues have plummeted. "Making sure our … Continue Reading
April 15, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Harris in Calling to Designate April 11-17 as Black Maternal Health Week
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and 20 of their colleagues in reintroducing a resolution to designate April 11-17, 2020, as Black Maternal Health Week to raise awareness about the black maternal health crisis. The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality for developed nations. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), black mothers in the United States are … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues to USDA: Provide Assistance to Specialty Crop Producers During Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and 27 Senate colleagues, sent a bipartisan letter calling on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to ensure that specialty crop producers receive financial assistance from losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Illinois is the number one producer of two specialty crops: pumpkins and horseradish. Illinois is also in … Continue Reading
