Press Releases
Duckworth, Blumenthal, Brown, Harris, Klobuchar, Sanders, Van Hollen & Warren Demand McDonald’s Improve Sexual Harassment Policies at Locations Across the Country
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called on McDonald's to improve its protections against sexual harassment at locations across the country and do more to address allegations of workplace harassment, abuse and retaliation suffered by McDonald's workers. In a letter to … Continue Reading
June 11, 2019
Duckworth Discusses Agricultural Priorities with Illinois Farm Bureau
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with members of the Illinois Farm Bureau (ILFB) and ILFB President Richard Guebert to discuss Illinois priorities and agriculture policies, as well as the impact on farmers from unseasonably heavy rainfall this spring. Photos from the meeting are available here. "The strength of America's farmers is a reflection of the strength of our nation," Duckworth said. "I enjoyed meeting with the Illinois Farm Bureau today to hear their … Continue Reading
June 11, 2019
Duckworth Meets with Champaign County Chamber of Commerce
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with more than a dozen members of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce as well as local elected officials today in her Capitol Hill office to discuss increasing infrastructure investments throughout the region to facilitate new, good-paying jobs and rebuild critical roadways, recreational paths and water facilities. Photos from today's meeting are available here. "Investing and modernizing infrastructure is critical to ensuring … Continue Reading
June 10, 2019
Amid Spike of Annoying Robocalls, Duckworth & Durbin Call on Trump Administration to Protect Consumers from Abusive Debt Collection Tactics
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and 22 of their colleagues in calling on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger to reverse a new rule that will allow debt collection companies to send unlimited texts and emails to consumers, as well as call consumers 7 times per week to harass them about debt they may owe. In 2018 alone, consumers filed over 500,000 … Continue Reading
June 10, 2019
Duckworth Commemorates 100th Anniversary of Illinois Ratifying 19th Amendment
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth today honored the 100th anniversary of Illinois's ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, at a rally at the Thompson Center in Chicago. Duckworth joined Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton, Deputy Governor Sol Flores, State Senator Melinda Bush and Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, as well as the KLEO Center, Chicago Votes and League of Women Voters to honor the suffragists' legacy as she advocates for … Continue Reading
June 05, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $1.5 Million for Environmental Cleanup Across Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, announced $1,550,000 in federal funding today to help eliminate toxic pollutants from five contaminated sites in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods across Illinois. The cleanup and assessment grants are provided by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Brownfields Program, which provides financial assistance to those working to assess and safely clean … Continue Reading
June 05, 2019
Duckworth, Crapo, Luján Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help National Labs Find Qualified Employees by Improving Workforce Training
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mike Crapo (R-ID) along with Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) introduced bipartisan legislation to prepare the next generation of American workers to work at our National Laboratories and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) by ensuring they gain the training and skills they need to succeed. With many employees of our National Laboratories and NNSA sites nearing retirement age, the DOE National Labs Jobs … Continue Reading
June 04, 2019
100 Years After Senate Passed the 19th Amendment, Duckworth Calls on Congress to Honor Suffragists’ Legacy by Better Ensuring Voting Rights for All
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - One hundred years to the day since Congress passed the 19th Amendment, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor to honor the suffragists who fought so tirelessly for women's right to vote. Duckworth argued that the suffragists' fight is not over-and that it now falls on today's generation to keep their movement alive by working to expand voting rights to the many Americans who still don't have full access to the ballot box. Video of the speech is … Continue Reading
June 03, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $3 Million for Community Health Center in Southern Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - 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) awarded $3,806,663 to support Community Health & Emergency Services, Inc. in Carbondale through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program. Community health centers are community-based organizations that improve access to affordable, high-quality health care in underserved urban and rural communities … Continue Reading
June 03, 2019
On Bipartisan Delegation Visit to Japan & Singapore, Duckworth Works to Strengthen Relationships with Asian Partners
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) returned yesterday from an official visit to Singapore and Japan, which she traveled to as part of a tri-partisan Senate Armed Services Committee delegation with U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Over four days, the Senators met with top government and military leaders, diplomats and officials in the region, including the Prime Ministers of both nations as well as their Defense … Continue Reading
May 31, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $3 Million for Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport Improvements
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $3,200,000 in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant funding to help improve the Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport in Springfield. The funding will help Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport install perimeter fencing and rehabilitate runways. "This investment will enhance operations at Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport in Springfield by improving runways and installing fencing," Duckworth said. "This … Continue Reading
May 31, 2019
Duckworth Statement on E15 Rule Changes
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a long-time advocate for the Renewable Fuel Standard and the sale of E15 year-round, released the following statement in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) release of the E15 rule, which implements Senator Duckworth's repeated request that the Trump Administration allow drivers to fuel up with gasoline that is blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15) year-round: "I have consistently demanded that the Trump … Continue Reading
May 30, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $750,000 to Help Minority-Owned Businesses in Chicago
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $750,000 in federal funding to help provide technical assistance and business development services to minority-owned businesses in Chicago. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council for the MBDA Exporting Project, which is intended to provide technical assistance and business development … Continue Reading
May 25, 2019
Duckworth Statement on Trump Administration’s Decision to Send More US Troops to Middle East, Circumvent Congress in Selling Arms to Saudi Arabia
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the Trump Administration's decision to send more troops to the Middle East and sell additional arms to Saudi Arabia: "With Americans across the country commemorating Memorial Day this weekend by reflecting on the sacrifices made by those souls brave enough to have served this nation in uniform, Donald Trump-who refused to … Continue Reading
May 25, 2019
Duckworth Pays Tribute to Fallen Servicemembers at Chicago Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony and Parade
[CHICAGO, IL] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today paid tribute to our nation's fallen servicemembers at the City of Chicago's wreath laying ceremony and parade. Duckworth joined local Gold Star families in remembering loved ones who were killed in the line of duty, then participated in Chicago's Memorial Day Parade with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and 2019 Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal Major General Marion Garcia, 200th Military Police Commander, United States Army … Continue Reading
May 24, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Help Introduce Legislation to Overturn President Trump’s Expansion of Junk Insurance Plans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Duck Durbin (D-IL) joined Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Doug Jones (D-AL) this week in introducing legislation to overturn the Trump administration's expansion of junk health insurance plans that don't have to cover critical health care services or provide health care coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. In Illinois, more than five million people have a pre-existing condition. The No Junk Plans Act is cosponsored by the … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Duckworth in NDAA Negotiations: Congress Should Prevent Administration from Weakening Military Readiness by Diverting Critical Funds for Unnecessary Border Wall
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have prohibited the U.S. Secretary of Defense from reprogramming critical national security funds intended for critical military construction projects and to counter drug trafficking in order to build a wall or fence on the southern border. "Trump's repeated attempts to redirect … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Duckworth, Peters, Roberts Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Increase Vaccination Rates & Cut Health Care Costs
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) today to introduce the bipartisan VACCINES Act. The legislation, which follows an outbreak of measles across the country, aims to increase vaccination rates by raising awareness about the importance of vaccines through a national campaign to combat misinformation. "The recent measles outbreak is extremely troubling, especially as the mother of two young daughters," Senator … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Duckworth Provisions to Protect Servicemembers & Support Illinois Jobs Included in Committee-Passed 2020 Defense Bill
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a Purple Heart recipient and one of the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, highlighted several key priorities she authored and successfully included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) on a bipartisan vote of 25-2 today. The NDAA, which will now be considered by the full U.S. Senate, … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Duckworth Joins Cornyn, Tillis, King to Introduce Bill to Provide Additional Voting Protections for Military Overseas
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Angus King (I-ME) in introducing the Military Voter Protection (MVP) Act, which ensures that servicemembers are provided with ballots and registration cards necessary to vote while deployed overseas along with instruction from trained personnel on how to cast their vote in their registered state. "Every day, our servicemembers put themselves at risk to defend this … Continue Reading
