Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $1 Million to Help Protect Safe Drinking Water for Rural Communities
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced a total of $1,194,000 in federal grants today to help make critical water infrastructure improvements in Pana and Erie, Illinois. This funding comes through the Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's office of Rural Development, that allocates funding for projects to help ensure clean and reliable drinking water systems in rural communities. … Continue Reading
November 30, 2017
Duckworth Statement on former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s Guilty Plea
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement today in response to President Trump's former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's guilty plea to "willfully and knowingly" making "false, fictitious and fraudulent statements" to the FBI about conversations with Russia's ambassador: "Today's guilty plea by President Trump's former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn admitting he willfully and knowingly lied to the FBI is extremely troubling-and … Continue Reading
November 30, 2017
Duckworth: GOP Tax Scam Gives Tax Breaks to Donald Trump's Friends and Family and Force Working Americans to Pay the Bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged her colleagues to oppose the Senate Republican Tax Plan that will cut taxes for the ultrawealthy and large corporations while forcing the middle class and our nation's small businesses to foot the bill. Duckworth reiterated the devastating effects this legislation would have on small businesses and shared examples of the disastrous impact the bill's elimination of deductions like the state and local tax (SALT) deduction would … Continue Reading
November 30, 2017
Duckworth Warns Trump Administration Against Covering Up Report Documenting Illegal Implementation of First Muslim Ban
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - With the Trump Administration seemingly poised to cover up its illegal and chaotic implementation of the January Muslim Ban executive order, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) called on the Administration to release U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General's full report on his investigation into ban's implementation. Her call for the report's release comes just days after the Senator met with DHS Inspector General John Roth to discuss his findings that … Continue Reading
November 30, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Senate GOP Tax Bill Vote
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After voting against the GOP tax "plan" written in secret last night with virtually no debate or time for Senators to read the legislative text, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released this statement: "I've long said we need to pass tax reform, but reforms need to focus on helping our nation's small businesses and middle-class families, not Donald Trump's well-connected, ultra-wealthy friends and family. Working Americans and small businesses-not … Continue Reading
November 30, 2017
Duckworth Statement on RFS Biofuels Announcement
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In response to the EPA's announcement on the final 2018 Renewable Volume Obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "I'm relieved to see the EPA finally taking steps to walk back their earlier efforts to undermine the Renewable Fuel Standard, but this is a missed opportunity to further strengthen the RFS program and promote biofuels. The RFS supports thousands of jobs in Illinois … Continue Reading
November 29, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Senate GOP Tax Bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following a Senate vote to begin debate on Senate Republicans' tax legislation, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "I've long said we need to pass tax reform, but we need to do it a way that's focused on helping Illinois's small businesses and middle-class families, not just Donald Trump's ultra-wealthy friends and family. This 'plan' pays for permanent tax cuts for those who don't need them by sticking working families and … Continue Reading
November 27, 2017
Duckworth Highlights Importance of Infrastructure Investments during Meeting with Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit Leadership
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) Managing Director Karl Gnadt and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Johnson to discuss the importance of the Illinois Terminal Project, which will expand MTD's intermodal facility and improve existing transit terminals, among other benefits. Duckworth also discussed her efforts to support transportation infrastructure projects and create jobs across Illinois. A photo of today's … Continue Reading
November 27, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $9 Million to Expand Broadband Access Across South Central Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced a $9,413,000 federal grant today to help expand broadband access and speeds across Central Illinois by investing in 264 miles of fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband network. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development Community Connect grant program, which invests in broadband projects in communities where private sector providers do not yet deliver … Continue Reading
November 27, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $700,000 to Expand Affordable Housing Options for Illinois Families
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced a $757,623 federal grant today to help low-income families, seniors and Americans living with disabilities access affordable housing options. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV), which subsidizes rent for eligible individuals and families who find single-family homes, townhouses and apartments that meet the program's … Continue Reading
November 26, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $2 Million for Head Start Programs in Effingham
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced a $2,057,957 federal grant today to help children from low-income families access Head Start and Early Head Start programs at the C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation in Effingham, Illinois. This funding comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) that allocates funding, technical assistance, strategic … Continue Reading
November 20, 2017
Duckworth & Durbin React to Illinois State Board of Elections’ Decision to Continue Use of Inaccurate Crosscheck Program
[WASHINGTON D.C.] - In response to the Illinois State Board of Elections' decision to continue to participate in the discriminatory, deeply flawed Interstate Voter Registration Data Crosscheck Program (Crosscheck), U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement: "No American voter should ever be improperly disenfranchised because of inaccurate information, which makes the decision by the Illinois State Board of Elections to continue its use … Continue Reading
November 20, 2017
Duckworth & Durbin Respond to DHS IG Finding that Trump Administration Violated Several Court Orders When Implementing Muslim Ban Executive Order
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued a joint statement today after receiving an update on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Inspector General's investigation into the federal government's chaotic and potentially illegal implementation of President Trump's first Muslim ban. The Inspector General's investigation - which was launched following a request from Senators Duckworth, Durbin and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) - found that the … Continue Reading
November 20, 2017
Duckworth & Durbin Respond to DHS IG Finding that Trump Administration Violated Several Court Orders When Implementing Muslim Ban Executive Order
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued a joint statement today after receiving an update on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Inspector General's investigation into the federal government's chaotic and potentially illegal implementation of President Trump's first Muslim ban. The Inspector General's investigation - which was launched following a request from Senators Duckworth, Durbin and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) - found that the … Continue Reading
November 17, 2017
Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Duckworth NDAA Provisions to Help Small Businesses, Make Government More Efficient & Prevent Low-Income Servicemembers from Going Hungry
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The Senate overwhelmingly passed several proposals authored by combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday to help prevent low-income Servicemembers from going hungry, make it easier for small businesses to get Department of Defense (DOD) contracts, make federal government contracting more efficient, and help ensure the long-term success of the Rock Island Arsenal. Her provisions, which passed as part of the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense … Continue Reading
November 16, 2017
Duckworth Helps Break Ground on Metra’s Fox River Bridge Project
[ELGIN, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Metra officials to break ground on the new Fox River Bridge in Elgin, Illinois. When she was in the U.S. House of Representatives, Duckworth led a Congressional coalition in sending a letter of support for the project. Following her letter, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $14 million in federal funding through the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recover) grant program for the new double-track … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Call For Impartial Investigation Into Potential Quid Pro Quo Between Chairman Ajit Pai, Trump Administration And Sinclair Broadcasting
[WASHINGTON, D.C. ] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined 12 of their Senate colleagues to request the inspector general of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) open and investigation into the objectivity and impartiality of the FCC's review of the proposed merger of Sinclair Broadcasting and Tribune Media. "We have strong concerns that the FCC's ongoing review of the proposed merger of Sinclair Broadcasting and Tribune Media may be gained by a … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Senator Al Franken
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement on Senator Al Franken: "These types of actions are simply unacceptable and should be reviewed by the Ethics Committee. Women across America should be able to feel safe in their workplace, and they deserve our support when coming forward with allegations of … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Duckworth and Hatch Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Support At-risk Youth & Help Eliminate Homelessness
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced a resolution today to recognize November as National Runaway Prevention Month. The resolution, if passed, would help raise awareness of the runaway and homeless youth crisis and educate the public about how to help end youth homelessness. "The more than 1 million American children who go to sleep without a safe roof over their head each year deserve so much better in one of the … Continue Reading
November 14, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $600,000 to Help Eliminate Housing Discrimination in Chicago
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced a total of $600,000 in grant funding under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) to help eliminate housing discrimination in Chicago and assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination. "Families searching for a new place to live should not have to worry about being denied access to safe housing … Continue Reading
