Press Releases
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
May 23, 2019
Duckworth Asks for Investigation into EPA’s Abuse of Biofuel Waivers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) to launch an independent investigation into whether top EPA officials violated the law by inappropriately exempting a number of oil refineries from having to use legally required levels of biofuel. A recent report from Reuters exposed how top EPA officials, including former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, lied to Congress and the American public about … Continue Reading
May 22, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin, Feinstein, Van Hollen, Shaheen, Smith and Kelly Reintroduce Legislation to Train Students for High-Skill Jobs
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Tina Smith (D-MN), along with U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), reintroduced legislation to make education more affordable for students pursuing degrees in high-skill industries. The bill will help businesses fill vacant, good-paying positions with qualified candidates. The Community College to Career Fund in Higher Education Act … Continue Reading
May 22, 2019
Duckworth & Collins Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Make Preventive Healthcare More Affordable for Veterans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) re-introduced bipartisan legislation to make healthcare more affordable for America's Veterans. Their Veterans Preventive Health Coverage Fairness Act would stop forcing our nation's Veterans to pay out-of-pocket costs for essential preventive health medications and prescription drugs and add preventive medications and services to the list of no-fee treatments that VA covers. Under … Continue Reading
May 21, 2019
Duckworth Hosts Mobile Office Hours in Beardstown and Jacksonville
[BEARDSTOWN, IL] - The Office of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today hosted mobile office hours in Beardstown, Illinois, and Jacksonville, Illinois, where her constituent service representatives were on hand to assist Illinoisans with receiving Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefits. Additional mobile office hours will take place in communities throughout the state over the coming months to offer constituents who may not be able to travel to one of the … Continue Reading
May 21, 2019
Duckworth’s Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing Importance of GPS Constellation Passes Senate Unanimously
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth's (D-IL) resolution recognizing the positive impacts of the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation, which contributes an estimated $68.7 billion to the U.S. economy, passed the Senate unanimously today. Duckworth introduced the resolution along with U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH). A companion resolution was recently introduced by U.S. Representatives Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Don Bacon … Continue Reading
May 21, 2019
Duckworth Asks FAA to Publish Advisory Circular on Best Practices for Manufacturing, Testing and Operating Angle of Attack Sensors
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following a series of safety incidents involving faulty or malfunctioning angle of attack (AOA) sensors on airplanes, including the two recent crashes involving Boeing 737 MAX series jets, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today to publish a set of standardized best practices for how to ensure airlines and flight crews are complying with all federal safety standards and regulations. In a letter to Acting FAA Administrator … Continue Reading
May 20, 2019
Duckworth Attends Inauguration of Mayor Lori Lightfoot
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) attended the inauguration of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot today to celebrate the swearing in of the new mayor, Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and City Clerk Anna Valencia. Photos from today's event are available here. "I'm excited to work together with Mayor Lightfoot to help hardworking Illinois families," Duckworth said. "I look forward to advocating together for Chicago, supporting new investments in infrastructure and ensuring … Continue Reading
