Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin Call on DHS Secretary to Explain Reported Violations of Sensitive Locations Policy
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 18 other Senators in calling on Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke to address the Department's reported violations of policies regarding immigration enforcement at locations like religious institutions, schools and hospitals. The letter comes after officials apprehended the parents of a two-month-old baby at a hospital while they were … Continue Reading
October 29, 2017
Duckworth Highlights Disastrous Impacts of GOP Tax Plan for Working Families in Illinois at Meeting with Local Officials and Realtors
[BARRINGTON, IL] -U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth met with local realtors and elected officials from the Northwest suburbs on Sunday to discuss the disastrous impact the GOP tax plan would have on working families. Specifically, the Republican tax proposal would eliminate the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction that nearly 2 million Illinoisans rely on to avoid being taxed twice, at both the state and federal level, on their hard-earned income. A photo of the meeting is available here. "I want … Continue Reading
October 26, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Urge IL State Board of Elections to Stop Using Inaccurate Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program
[WASHINGTON D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) wrote to the Illinois State Board of Elections (IL SBE) today asking them to stop using the deeply flawed Interstate Voter Registration Data Crosscheck Program (Crosscheck) to help the state maintain the accuracy of its voter registration system. Reports have shown that the system is not only ineffective at catching duplicate registrations, but discriminatory as well. Researchers recently found that "one of … Continue Reading
October 26, 2017
Duckworth & Warren Lead Senators in Pressing Trump Administration to Help American Hurricane Victims on Puerto Rican Islands of Vieques and Culebra
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) led five of their colleagues in asking the Trump Administration to prioritize federal assistance to residents of the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra and deploy staff from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Superfund site on Vieques. Both islands' drinking water and food are at an exceptionally high risk of contamination due to their proximity to this site, the Atlantic Fleet Weapons … Continue Reading
October 25, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Background Check Expansion Act To Reduce Gun Violence
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 26 of their Senate colleagues to announce the introduction of the Background Check Expansion Act, which will expand federal background checks to the sale or transfer of all firearms by private sellers, with certain reasonable exceptions. Under current law, unlicensed or private sellers are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm. Research … Continue Reading
October 25, 2017
New Duckworth & Kildee Bill Would Help Protect Families from Lead-Contaminated Water
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), the top Democrat on the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee, today introduced the National Opportunity for Lead Exposure Accountability and Deterrence (NO LEAD) Act of 2017 to help ensure drinking water across our nation is clean and safe from lead and copper exposure. The legislation would create a lead-service-line inventory to help monitor contaminated service lines, ensure the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) … Continue Reading
October 23, 2017
Duckworth on Senate Floor: Overturning CFPB’s Arbitration Rule Would Harm Servicemembers Who Are Victims of Scams, Fraud & Abuse
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered a powerful speech tonight urging her colleagues to oppose an effort from Senate Republicans to restrict the rights of consumers and Servicemembers who are victims of scams, theft, fraud and abuse. Speaking on the Senate floor, Duckworth shared examples of Servicemembers who filed lawsuits to hold unscrupulous financial institutions accountable and she reminded her colleagues about the recent outrage Equifax and Wells Fargo … Continue Reading
October 19, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Help Introduce Bill to Block Trump Administration’s Roll Back of Birth Control Mandate
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and 39 Senate and House Democrats in introducing legislation to safeguard a woman's access to birth control against the Trump administration's efforts to make it harder for women to access contraceptive coverage. The Protect Access to Birth Control Act … Continue Reading
October 19, 2017
Duckworth Co-Sponsors Legislation to Support American Farmers Competing in Global Agricultural Markets
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Angus King (I-ME) and Susan Collins (R-NH) in co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to expand access to new markets for Illinois farmers who sell their goods in an increasingly competitive global economy. The Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports (CREAATE) Act would provide long overdue funding increases to two U.S. Department of … Continue Reading
October 19, 2017
Duckworth: Escalation of Hostilities in Kirkuk “Undermines Our Goals Across the Region and Must Be Reversed”
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement regarding recent fighting in Kirkuk, Iraq: "Recent clashes between the Iraqi government and Kurdish forces in Kirkuk are not only tragic, but they run counter to our nation's strategic interests as well as those of the Iraqi and Kurdish people. This escalation of hostilities threatens to undermine our goals across the region and must be reversed. Prime Minister Abadi and the … Continue Reading
October 18, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Senate Budget Vote
[WASHIGNTON, D.C.] - After Senate Republicans passed a budget resolution that would slash trillions of dollars from programs that Illinoisans depend on, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement: "This Republican budget would recklessly slash funding for vital programs that tens of millions of seniors, students, Veterans and hardworking families rely on. It would scale back our investments in job-creating infrastructure projects and add trillions of dollars to the … Continue Reading
October 18, 2017
Duckworth Joins Democratic Senators in Introducing Legislation to Block Discriminatory Travel Ban 3.0
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and 26 other Senators in introducing a bill to block the implementation of President Trump's most recent executive order to restrict travel to the United States from eight nations. The Senators' legislation would declare the executive order illegal based on the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which banned discrimination against … Continue Reading
October 18, 2017
Duckworth, Perdue Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Airplane Safety for Pilots and Passengers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) to improve airplane safety by improving compliance with the Pilot Records Improvement Act of 1996 (PRIA), which requires airlines to obtain the motor vehicle driving record of pilot applicants from the National Driver Register (NDR) before allowing that individual to begin their service as a pilot. The Senators' bipartisan Pilot Records Improvement Enhancement Act of … Continue Reading
October 18, 2017
Duckworth Places Holds on EPA Nominees Bill Wehrum & Michael Dourson
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] -U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) placed a hold today on two of President Trump's nominees to lead offices at the EPA - Bill Wehrum and Dr. Michael Dourson - citing their histories of putting corporate profits ahead of public safety. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works was scheduled to consider Wehrum's nomination to lead the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation and Dourson's nomination to lead the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention … Continue Reading
October 15, 2017
Duckworth Tours Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters Apprentice and Training Program Center
[ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) toured the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters Apprentice and Training Center and highlighted the importance of technical education and apprenticeship programs. The Center's training program helps individuals develop basic technical skills to prepare them for the workforce and also offers advanced professional development classes for members of the Chicago Regional Council. A photo of the tour is available here. "The Chicago … Continue Reading
October 15, 2017
Duckworth & Senate Commerce Committee Democrats Call for FCC Oversight Hearing after POTUS Threatens Freedom of the Press
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and other Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in calling on Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) to hold a hearing on President Trump's attacks on the media, which pose a threat to the freedom of the press. The Senators also highlighted their concerns regarding Federal Communication … Continue Reading
October 12, 2017
Duckworth Statement on President Trump’s Continued Sabotage of Healthcare Market
[WASHINGTON, DC] - In response to reports that the Trump administration is ending cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments that help keep premiums affordable, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "President Trump's continued partisan and petty efforts to sabotage our nation's healthcare system are hurting hardworking Americans and wasting billions of taxpayer dollars. Instead of adopting bipartisan, common-sense fixes that would expand access and lower costs, he … Continue Reading
October 12, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Trump’s Iran Announcement
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following President Trump's announcement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear agreement, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "While the Iran nuclear agreement was far from perfect, it has been successful in halting Iran's dangerous development of nuclear weapons. President Trump's rash and reckless announcement today threatens to destroy years of progress and weakens key pillars of our … Continue Reading
October 11, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $900,000 for Rural Development in Central Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $901,000 in federal funding to support rural community development projects in Shelby, Menard, Edgar and Macoupin Counties. The funding will help modernize electrical grids and water distribution systems. "Grants like these will help ensure our rural communities across Central Illinois have the resources they need to repair water systems, improve electrical grids and support local families," … Continue Reading
October 11, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $3 Million for Rural Development in Southern Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $3,245,000 in federal funding to support rural community development projects in Union and Jackson Counties. The funding will help modernize electrical grids and water distribution systems. "Grants like these will help ensure our rural communities in Union and Jackson Counties have the resources they need to repair water systems, improve electrical grids and support local families," Duckworth said. … Continue Reading
