Press Releases
Days After Head Start Turned 53, Duckworth and Durbin Announce Over $90 Million to Help Low-Income Students Across Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Just days after Head Start turned 53, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced 8 federal grants totaling $90,927,264 for Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout Illinois. The Head Start program was founded by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 17, 1965, to help combat the War of Poverty by promoting school readiness for low-income children from birth to 5 years old. For 53 years, the Head Start and Early Head Start programs have … Continue Reading
May 18, 2018
Duckworth, Carper Introduce Bill to Strengthen Oversight of Loophole Scott Pruitt Abused to Reward his Top Aides with Dramatic Salary Increases Over White House Objections
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following reports that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt appears to have abused the Safe Drinking Water Act's (SDWA) special hiring authority to reward his top aides with wasteful salary raises that even the Trump White House would reportedly not approve, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Ranking Member of the Senate EPW Committee Tom Carper … Continue Reading
May 18, 2018
Senators Duckworth, Murray Announce New Study to Examine Child Care Challenges Faced by Student Parents in College
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, announced the Government Accountability Office accepted their request to study challenges student parents face in accessing and completing higher education. "When student parents do not have access to high-quality child care, student parents may be forced to enroll part-time, making it even more difficult for them to complete their … Continue Reading
May 17, 2018
Duckworth Statement on CIA Director Nominee Gina Haspel
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement in advance of the Senate vote today on the nomination of Gina Haspel to serve as CIA Director: "If the United States Senate confirms Gina Haspel to be our nation's next CIA Director, it would send a terrible message that we have turned our backs on promoting human rights around the globe. One should not need hindsight to understand that torture is, and has always been, immoral, … Continue Reading
May 17, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $11 Million to Support Central Illinois Housing and Community Development
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Central Illinois communities will receive $11,780,310 in federal grant funding through programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding was allocated through HUD's Community Development Block Grants, Emergency Solutions Grants, and HOME Investment Partnerships programs to help local governments expand economic opportunities and provide suitable … Continue Reading
May 17, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $4 Million to Support Northern Illinois Housing and Community Development
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Northern Illinois communities will receive $4,341,689 in federal grant funding through programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding was allocated through HUD's Community Development Block Grants, Emergency Solutions Grants, and HOME Investment Partnerships programs to help local governments expand economic opportunities and provide suitable … Continue Reading
May 17, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $170 Million to Support Chicago-Area Housing and Community Development
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Chicago-area communities will receive $169,139,847 in federal grant funding through programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding was allocated through HUD's Community Development Block Grants, HOME Investment Partnerships, Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs to help state and … Continue Reading
May 17, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $8 Million to Support Metro East Housing and Community Development
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Metro East communities will receive $7,946,210 in federal grant funding through programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding was allocated through HUD's Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Partnerships programs to help state and local governments expand economic opportunities and provide suitable living environments for … Continue Reading
May 16, 2018
Duckworth Statement on Senate Vote to Restore Net Neutrality
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate passed Senator Ed Markey's (D-MA) Congressional Review Act resolution to restore Net Neutrality rules: "Today's vote is a win for the millions of Americans who made their voices heard in the push to restore net neutrality rules. Ensuring that everyone has access to a level playing field online-which enables our small businesses to stay competitive and protects startups from being crushed … Continue Reading
May 16, 2018
Duckworth to Host Mobile Office Hours in Mattoon Tomorrow
[Mattoon, IL] – The Office of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will host new “Mobile Office Hours” tomorrow at the Mattoon Public Library, where constituent service representatives will be onsite to assist Illinoisans with receiving the Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefits they may be entitled to. Duckworth’s Mobile Office Hours will take place in communities throughout the state over the coming months to offer constituents who may … Continue Reading
May 16, 2018
Duckworth to Host Mobile Office Hours in Effingham Tomorrow
[Effingham, IL] – The Office of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will host new “Mobile Office Hours” tomorrow at the Effingham Public Library, where constituent service representatives will be onsite to assist Illinoisans with receiving the Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefits they may be entitled to. Duckworth’s Mobile Office Hours will take place in communities throughout the state over the coming months to offer constituents who … Continue Reading
May 16, 2018
On Anniversary of Amtrak Shooting, Duckworth and Hoeven Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Protections for Rail Crewmembers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On today's one-year anniversary of the shooting of an Amtrak conductor in Naperville, Illinois, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve public safety and discourage violence aboard passenger trains. The Passenger Rail Crew Protection Parity Act would provide the same federal protections for airline crewmembers to passenger rail crewmembers, so that any assault or intimidation of a rail crewmember, including … Continue Reading
May 15, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Continue to Press for Fairness in FEMA Disaster Declaration Process
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today pressed the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to consider their bill - Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act (S. 600) - to improve upon the formulas that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses to declare a disaster eligible for federal assistance. Last month, FEMA denied federal assistance to Iroquois, Kankakee, and … Continue Reading
May 15, 2018
Duckworth Statement on Effort to Pass Updated Authorization for Use of Military Force
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Ahead of a U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing tomorrow on legislation that would replace our 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs) with an updated AUMF, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "One of Congress's most solemn constitutional responsibilities is deciding when and how we choose to send America's sons and daughters into combat, but we could soon have troops serving in … Continue Reading
May 15, 2018
Duckworth Joins Brown, Colleagues in Requesting Meeting Records from Mulvaney Following His ‘Pay to Play’ Comments to Banking Lobbyists
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and 20 of her Senate colleagues in requesting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney to release documents related to his scheduling policies at the OMB and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), beginning with his Senate confirmation in February of 2018. The letter aims to determine if Mulvaney's 'pay to play' practices from his Congressional office have also been in place … Continue Reading
May 14, 2018
Duckworth, Schakowsky, Schneider Host Federal Grants Workshop
[NORTHBROOK, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (IL-10) today hosted a federal grants workshop in Northbrook, Illinois. The morning session highlighted resources available to local governments for transportation, infrastructure, flood mitigation and first responders. The afternoon session focused on community organizations and individuals with an emphasis on cultural programming and funding available … Continue Reading
May 14, 2018
Duckworth & Durbin Join Senator Schatz, 18 Colleagues in Calling on Secretary Mattis to Explain Why DoD Removed Climate Change Data From Report
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following a report that the Department of Defense revised a January 2018 vulnerability assessment by removing references to climate change and key findings on the risks from sea level rise, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and a group of 18 Senators in calling on Defense Secretary James Mattis to release the unpublished draft of the report and explain why the omissions were made. "These are substantive, not … Continue Reading
May 14, 2018
Senate Confirms Michael Scudder & Amy St. Eve for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm the nominations of Michael Y. Scudder, Jr. and U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve to serve as Circuit Judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, based in Chicago: "Amy St. Eve and Michael Scudder have the experience, integrity, and judgment that we look for in federal judges, and we look forward to seeing them serve with … Continue Reading
May 11, 2018
Duckworth to Host Mobile Office Hours in Effingham Next Week
[Effingham, IL] – The Office of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will host new “Mobile Office Hours” next week at the Effingham Public Library, where constituent service representatives will be onsite to assist Illinoisans with receiving the Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefits they may be entitled to. Duckworth’s Mobile Office Hours will take place in communities throughout the state over the coming months to offer constituents who … Continue Reading
May 11, 2018
Duckworth to Host Mobile Office Hours in Mattoon Next Week
[Mattoon, IL] – The Office of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will host new “Mobile Office Hours” next week at the Mattoon Public Library, where constituent service representatives will be onsite to assist Illinoisans with receiving the Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefits they may be entitled to. Duckworth’s Mobile Office Hours will take place in communities throughout the state over the coming months to offer constituents who may … Continue Reading
