Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Telehealth Funding Available to Health Care Providers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau is now accepting applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. The program will provide $200 million in funding, which was appropriated by Congress as part of the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to help health care providers deliver services to patients at their homes or mobile … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Duckworth Joins Wyden in Calling on SBA to Immediately Issue Emergency Grants to Small Businesses
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 17 of her colleagues in writing to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza demanding SBA ensure small businesses receive the new Emergency Economic Injury Grants (EEIGs) within three days of application as required by Congress. The letter follows reports that small businesses across the country are not receiving EEIG advances, despite the fact that they are eligible … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Illinois Delegation Discuss COVID-19 Response with Chicago Mayor Lightfoot
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with several members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, spoke with Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot about Chicago's ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and how they can continue to assist her efforts to protect Illinoisans. The group discussed how the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act can provide Illinois families and businesses with relief during the pandemic, and what … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Carper, Foster, Schneider Ask EPA To Improve Communication Of Public Health Risks Of EtO Emissions
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), today called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fully adopt the EPA Inspector General (IG) directive to improve its efforts to communicate the potential health risks associated with ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions to at-risk communities, and submit a corrective action plan that includes … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Duckworth Speaks with Quad Cities Small Business Owners about CARES Act Implementation
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with small business owners from across the Quad Cities region about the implementation of the bipartisan CARES Act stimulus and additional efforts in Congress to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. During a Quad Cities Chamber conference call, Duckworth spoke about relief available to self-employed individuals and small and micro business that employ fewer than 100 people, difficulties surrounding accessing the Paycheck … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Press Trump Administration for Information on Distribution of Critical Medical Supplies
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, today raised serious concerns about the Trump Administration's reliance on private companies to distribute desperately needed medical supplies during the Coronavirus pandemic. Although the President has declared a national emergency and mobilized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Illinois Democratic Congressional Delegation to Trump Administration: Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Cases & Deaths Are Unacceptable
WASHINGTON - Today, the Democratic members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar expressing strong concerns regarding the racial disparities that exist in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Illinois and across the nation. The members cited that while black residents make up nearly 15 percent of the state’s total population, they account for 43 percent of all COVID-19 deaths. The situation in Chicago is … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $218 Million For Illinois Colleges To Provide Emergency Aid To Students
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded $218 million to Illinois institutions of higher education for emergency financial aid to students. The funding - which comes from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - will be used to provide cash grants to students for expenses related to disruptions to their … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Illinois Democratic Congressional Delegation To Trump Administration: Racial Disparities In COVID-19 Cases & Deaths Are Unacceptable
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Today, the Democratic members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar expressing strong concerns regarding the racial disparities that exist in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Illinois and across the nation. The members cited that while black residents make up nearly 15 percent of the state's total population, they account for 43 percent of all COVID-19 deaths. The situation in Chicago is … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Duckworth Speaks with Illinois Small Business Owners about CARES Act Implementation
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today participated in a Small Business Majority (SBM) webinar with small business owners from across Illinois about the implementation of the CARES Act. Duckworth answered questions about the relief available to self-employed individuals and small and micro business that employ less than 100 people, difficulties surrounding accessing the Paycheck Protection Program and increased technical assistance available to small business … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Discuss DOD Coronavirus Response With Defense Secretary Esper
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee, and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today spoke with Defense Secretary Mark Esper about the military's COVID-19 response efforts. During today's call, Durbin and Duckworth pressed Secretary Esper for military personnel to help staff the field hospital at McCormick Place in Chicago. Five hundred beds are … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Bipartisan Senators Press USDA to Provide Relief for Local Farmers During COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the Trump Administration to provide relief for local farmers who are struggling as the nation works to combat the spread of COVID-19. In a letter sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Senators urged USDA to ensure that a portion of the $9.5 billion they … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Democratic Colleagues Press Trump Administration to Ensure Workers Receive Unemployment Benefits
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in leading 30 of their Democratic colleagues today in pressing the Department of Labor to ensure workers Congress intended to be covered by the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program receive the benefits they deserve. “[P]arts of the guidance appear narrow or ambiguous, which could make states think they need to exclude … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Urge Senate Leadership to Provide Funding to Local Governments Serving Small Communities in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) are calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to include additional federal assistance to local governments in the forthcoming supplemental COVID-19 relief package. In their letter, Duckworth and Durbin called for the creation of a special FEMA Community Disaster … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $1.2 Billion in CARES Act Funding for Illinois Hospitals & Health Providers
[SPRINGFIELD] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Illinois hospitals and health providers a total of $1,204,103,180 in grant funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide relief and support ongoing treatment efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today's funding is part of the CARES Act's "Marshall Pan," which included $100 billion for … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Discuss COVID-19 Response in Illinois with Army Secretary McCarthy
[WASHINGTON, DC] U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, spoke with U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy today to discuss the Army's COVID-19 response efforts in Illinois. Durbin and Duckworth asked about operations at the McCormick Place Field Hospital and ongoing U.S. Army efforts to support Illinois frontline health care … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Duckworth Joins Blumenthal in Calling on OSHA to Provide and Enforce Safety Standards for All Essential Businesses & Workers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and five of her colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to utilize its emergency enforcement mechanism to require employers to develop and implement comprehensive plans to protect all essential workers who continue to perform their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senators asked OSHA to issue an Emergency Temporary … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Duckworth Discusses COVID-19 Pandemic Response with Metro East Leaders
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke with several Metro East officials in recent days about the federal assistance needed and efforts already underway in the region to address the COVID-19 pandemic. During these discussions, Duckworth spoke about how the bipartisan CARES Act stimulus law may help the Metro East, checked in about each stakeholder's response to and issues stemming from the pandemic and asked what additional federal resources might be needed in the … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Duckworth Joins Warren, Hirono and Colleagues to Call for Federal Agencies to Address Coronavirus-Related Racist and Xenophobic Attacks Against Asian Americans
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) in leading a letter to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) urging it to issue guidance to federal agencies on preventing and addressing anti-Asian racism and xenophobia related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. There has been no coordinated effort across federal agencies to address this issue. "There has not been a concerted effort from … Continue Reading
April 09, 2020
Duckworth Discusses COVID-19 Pandemic Response with Chicago Public Schools CEO
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) recently spoke with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Janice Jackson about the federal assistance needed and efforts already underway to help the school district amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Duckworth and Jackson discussed how the bipartisan CARES Act stimulus law may help CPS, as well as the work CPS has done to keep students and families fed while schools are closed. "I had a productive discussion with Dr. Jackson about the needs of … Continue Reading
