Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin to Major Health Insurers: Fully Cover Testing, Treatment for COVID-19 at No Additional Cost to Patients
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 13 Senate Democrats, called on major health insurance companies to remove barriers to care for Americans who find themselves diagnosed with COVID-19. In a letter to the CEOs of Kaiser Permanente, Aetna, Humana, Cigna Corporation, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Anthem, and UnitedHealth Group, the senators specifically asked the insurers to cover all COVID-19 … Continue Reading
March 20, 2020
In Midst of Pandemic, Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Call on President Trump to End Efforts to Sabotage the Affordable Care Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin(D-IL), along with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 17 other Senators, sent a letter calling on President Trump to reverse course on efforts to repeal, sabotage, or undermine health care coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act. In the letter, Duckworth and Durbin criticized the Administration's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and put millions of Americans' health care at risk during a pandemic. The … Continue Reading
March 20, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Statement on Illinois Shelter-in-Place Order
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered a statewide Shelter-in-Place amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic:“Governor Pritzker’s shelter-in-place order is critical to slowing the spread of COVID-19. This pandemic will continue to disrupt our daily lives, but it is more important than ever for all Illinoisans to follow official health and safety guidance, practice … Continue Reading
March 20, 2020
Duckworth Helps Introduce Legislation to Support Small Businesses Struggling During COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Democrats this week in introducing a relief proposal to help support small businesses and give them the resources needed to address challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses across America are facing unprecedented economic disruption and financial hardship due to the outbreak. Today's proposal includes key components of Duckworth's Microloan Program … Continue Reading
March 20, 2020
Duckworth, Hassan Urge Department of Labor to Provide Support for Workers with Disabilities During COVID-19 Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) yesterday urged the Department of Labor (DOL) to better support workers who experience disabilities and may be at particular risk as a result of COVID-19. In a letter to DOL Secretary Eugene Scalia cosigned by 11 of their Senate colleagues, the senators made clear that people with disabilities have rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to access reasonable accommodations that can help protect … Continue Reading
March 20, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Urge Department of Veterans Affairs to Support Illinois VA Medical Facilities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie urging the agency to ensure that all VA medical facilities in Illinois are well equipped to promptly respond to the coronavirus pandemic and provide for the wellbeing of Veterans as well as VA employees. Duckworth and Durbin noted reports of potential medical supply shortages in Chicago-area VA medical facilities and urged … Continue Reading
March 19, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin: Small Businesses across Illinois Now Eligible for Federal SBA Emergency Loans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) as well as U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today informed Illinois small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that they may now be eligible for low-interest federal loans of up to $2 million under the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Today's announcement comes after the Senators called on SBA … Continue Reading
March 19, 2020
Duckworth Calls on DOD & HHS to Immediately Begin Training Civilian Healthcare Workers to Use DOD Ventilators
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, is calling on U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to work together to ensure civilian healthcare workers are well-trained to use the up to 5 million respirator masks and other personal protective equipment including 2,000 deployable ventilators that DOD made available to HHS this week in response to the COVID-19 … Continue Reading
March 19, 2020
Duckworth to Trump: Take Decisive Action Now to Boost Production of Life-Saving Ventilators
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote to President Donald Trump today urging him to take immediate, concrete and decisive action under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to boost production of critical life-saving ventilators. During a press conference, Trump stated he would invoke the DPA to help increase production of ventilators, only to later post a tweet that contradicted his previous statement. In her letter, Duckworth expresses alarm and disappointment in … Continue Reading
March 19, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Bipartisan Group of Senators in Urging Trump Administration to Expand Access to Telehealth Services to Rural Communities During Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and a bipartisan group of 19 other Senators in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase subsidies to health care providers through the Rural Health Care Program, which would ensure that providers have the resources they need to deliver and expand telehealth services for rural communities during the coronavirus … Continue Reading
March 19, 2020
House Passes Bill Supported by Duckworth & Durbin to Protect GI Bill Benefits as Universities Move Online Due to Coronavirus
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Bipartisan legislation supported by combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) as well as U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) that would make sure student Veterans and their loved ones receiving benefits through the GI Bill continue receiving full benefits today passed through the U.S. House of Representatives and now heads to the President's desk for his signature. The legislation, which both Senators helped introduce in the Senate, would temporarily allow these … Continue Reading
March 19, 2020
Duckworth Helps Introduce $17 Billion Bill to Relieve Small Business Loan Payments for 6 Months in Wake of COVID-19
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, today joined U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) in introducing legislation that would ensure every small business with a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan would be relieved of their SBA loan payments-including principal, interest, and fees-for the next six months. The Small Business Debt Relief Act of 2020 would be a lifeline for a … Continue Reading
March 18, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Updated Emergency Paid Leave Bill in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA), introduced the PAID Leave Act (Providing Americans Insured Days of Leave Act). The PAID Leave Act is a comprehensive emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave bill—fully funded by the federal government during the coronavirus emergency—to provide additional support to workers and businesses during the coronavirus outbreak … Continue Reading
March 18, 2020
Duckworth Votes for the Bipartisan Coronavirus Response Act in the Senate
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today voted for the bipartisan Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which cleared the U.S. House of Representatives last week and now heads to the President’s desk. She issued the following statement regarding her vote:“We must always put families first in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and I’m proud to vote for this bipartisan agreement that does just that. This bill pushes the Trump Administration to improve its … Continue Reading
March 18, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Vote to Protect GI Bill Benefits as Universities Move Online Due to Coronavirus
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) helped introduce and voted to pass bipartisan legislation to make sure student Veterans receiving benefits through the GI Bill continue receiving full benefits as universities temporarily move classes online to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The legislation would temporarily allow student Veterans to continue receiving education benefits without change as their … Continue Reading
March 18, 2020
Illinois Congressional Delegation Urges Small Business Administration to Approve Federal Loan Assistance for Illinois in Response to Coronavirus
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza supporting Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's request for a SBA Economic Injury Declaration for Illinois amid the coronavirus pandemic. As of this week, more than 100 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Illinois, and Governor Pritzker has ordered the closure of all dine-in restaurants and bars, and prohibited gatherings of 50 … Continue Reading
March 17, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Statement On First Coronavirus-Related Death In Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after Illinois announced its first coronavirus-related death: "We are both saddened by the confirmation of our state's first death from COVID-19. Our thoughts go out to the victim's family and loved ones during what we know is an incredibly difficult time for them. As we have all seen, this pandemic will disrupt the way we all go about our daily lives, but this sad news is a … Continue Reading
March 17, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Federal Funding for Illinois & City of Chicago Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has received $14.6 million in federal funding and the Chicago Department of Public Health received $8.7 million in federal funding in order to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, including funding for patient monitoring, lab testing, acquisition of test kits and protective equipment, and research into vaccines and therapeutics. This federal … Continue Reading
March 15, 2020
Duckworth: Senate Should Pass Bipartisan Coronavirus Response Act Immediately
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to immediately call up and pass the bipartisan Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Friday night. The Senator issued the following statement regarding the legislation: "We must always put families first in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. I applaud House Democrats for rejecting the White House's initial 'corporations first' … Continue Reading
March 15, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Demand Additional Federal Resources at O'Hare from Trump Administration
[WASHINGTON, DC] - After hundreds of passengers were forced to wait in close quarters for hours on end in order to clear medical screenings at customs at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Chad Wolf, Acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Mark Morgan, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar … Continue Reading
