Press Releases
Duckworth Outlines her Agenda to Support U.S. Steel & American Manufacturing
[GRANITE CITY, IL] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with Granite City steelworkers to discuss her efforts to bring back manufacturing jobs to the American steel industry after an estimated 2,300 steelworkers lost their jobs just after Christmas in 2015 when U.S. Steel idled their Granite City mill. During her meeting, Duckworth highlighted the importance of making investments to support American manufacturers and improve trade agreements to bolster the U.S. steel industry. A … Continue Reading
July 10, 2017
At Metro East Opioid Treatment Facility, Duckworth Underscores Negative Impacts of TrumpCare
[GRANITE CITY, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth today toured Chestnut Health Systems, a Granite City opioid treatment facility, and then discussed the disastrous impact the Senate Republican's TrumpCare proposal would have on the facility. The current proposal before the Senate would slash funding for treatment while handing out a huge tax break of more than $25 billion to the pharmaceutical companies that helped create this epidemic in the first place. "Resolving our nation's opioid … Continue Reading
July 09, 2017
In Cairo, Duckworth Hears Concerns of Alexander County Housing Authority Residents
[CAIRO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth today met with residents of the Elmwood and McBride housing developments to listen to their concerns and discuss her continuing efforts to address the challenges faced by families living in the two housing facilities. Since being sworn in as U.S. Senator in January, Duckworth has monitored the troubling situation in Cairo closely and worked to improve poor living conditions and elevated levels of lead in the water at the two housing complexes. … Continue Reading
July 06, 2017
Senator Duckworth Attends Warrior Games Medals Ceremony in Chicago
[CHICAGO, IL] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) took part in the medals ceremony of this year's Warrior Games Cycling Competition in Chicago. The Warrior Games, hosted by the U.S. Department of Defense, is a nine day multi-sport event designed for injured and wounded servicemembers and Veterans from every branch of the military. A photo is available here. "I know all too well the sacrifices servicemen and women make to serve their country. That is why it is such an … Continue Reading
July 06, 2017
Duckworth Warns Against Dangerous Impacts of EPA Cuts in Trump Budget
CHICAGO, IL - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), the senior-most Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee tasked with ensuring access to clean drinking water and helping prevent lead poisoning, today joined Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stakeholders to call attention to the President's proposed cuts to the agency and highlight her new legislation to prevent many of the worst impacts. Her Recognizing the Environmental Gains in Overcoming Negligence (REGION) Act would prevent the closure of … Continue Reading
July 06, 2017
Duckworth Calls for Economic Justice During Meeting with Peoria NAACP President
PEORIA, IL - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with Peoria NAACP President, Pastor Marvin Hightower, this week to discuss the need for economic justice throughout Central Illinois and across the nation. Duckworth spoke about the importance of supporting minority-owned businesses, making education more accessible and affordable, as well as the need to strengthen the nation's criminal justice system. A photo of the meeting is available here. "We know that the true strength of this country … Continue Reading
July 05, 2017
Duckworth: Trump Commission’s Request for Information on IL Voters Violates Federal Law
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote to the Illinois State Board of Elections (IL SBE) today urging them to ignore a burdensome and unlawful request from President Trump's voter suppression commission seeking sensitive personally-identifiable information on every Illinois voter. Duckworth pointed out that the commission's request was not only intrusive but also a violation of federal law, specifically the Paperwork Reduction Act that protects state and local … Continue Reading
July 05, 2017
At USDA Lab Facing Closure, Duckworth Discusses Devastating Impact of Trump Budget on Rural Development and Agriculture
PEORIA, IL - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) toured the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) laboratory in Peoria - which is at risk if President Trump's budget proposal becomes law - to highlight the significant economic harm that its closure would cause the local and state economies. Peoria's National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) is the largest agricultural research center outside of the Washington D.C. area, employing hundreds of scientists and … Continue Reading
July 03, 2017
At CTA Control Center, Duckworth Outlines Trump Budget’s Disastrous Impact on Chicago Infrastructure
CHICAGO, IL - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) toured the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Control Center, underscoring the importance of federal funding for transit capital projects that face elimination under the President's proposed budget. Transit officials at the CTA Control Center monitor and regulate the agency's eight rail lines, 145 rail stations and 130 bus routes that millions of commuters rely on daily. "Infrastructure improvements are essential to the strength of our local … Continue Reading
June 30, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $40 Million For Head Start Programs
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families has awarded a total of $39,693,351 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout Illinois. "I'm proud to support programs like Head Start that give children from every corner of Illinois a fairer shot at reaching their full potential." Duckworth said. "When we invest in childhood … Continue Reading
June 29, 2017
Duckworth’s FAM Act Passes Senate Commerce Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)'s bipartisan Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2017. Duckworth's legislation would serve to support women and families nationwide by ensuring breastfeeding mothers traveling through large- and medium-sized airports have accessible, clean and convenient lactation rooms to use. "Even … Continue Reading
June 29, 2017
Duckworth’s Provisions to Create Aviation Jobs, Improve Airplane Safety and Protect Airplane Passengers with Disabilities Pass Senate Commerce Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Several provisions proposed by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to create jobs, improve airline safety and protect travelers with disabilities passed the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee today as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2017. Duckworth's proposals in the FAA Reauthorization Act, which is set to be considered by the full Senate, include: Duckworth's Local Labor Hiring Pilot Program Amendment would … Continue Reading
June 29, 2017
Duckworth Fights to Protect Passengers and Improve Flight Safety
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing this morning, former Army Black Hawk pilot and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) pushed back against efforts to reduce the number of training hours that passenger airline pilots are required to log before receiving a pilot's license that enables them to be trusted with the lives of hundreds of people. Current rules requiring pilots to log between 750 and 1500 training hours were put in place following the … Continue Reading
June 29, 2017
Senator Duckworth Introduces Legislation to Prevent EPA Region Office Closures
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), the senior-most Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee tasked with ensuring access to clean drinking water and helping prevent lead poisoning, today introduced a new bill to prevent the closure of any regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office and protect thousands of jobs across the country. Her legislation, the Recognizing the Environmental Gains in Overcoming Negligence (REGION) Act, was introduced following reports that … Continue Reading
June 28, 2017
New CBO Report Requested by Duckworth Reveals Even More Devastation from Senate GOP’s Trumpcare
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement today after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a new report at the request of Senator Duckworth and others detailing the longer-term impacts of the Senate Republican healthcare bill. CBO found that Trumpcare would cut federal Medicaid spending by 35% by 2036, further jeopardizing the health care that tens of millions of working families, seniors, children, people with disabilities … Continue Reading
June 28, 2017
Trump’s Muslim Ban Implementation Just As Illogical, Discriminatory & Un-American
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement today in response to the Trump administration's announcement that a new, modified version of its Muslim Ban will be going into effect: "This attempt at implementing the President's Muslim ban is just as illogical, discriminatory and un-American as the first two attempts. How can President Trump credibly say that some relatives are 'bona fide' relationships while grandparents and grandchildren are not? This … Continue Reading
June 27, 2017
Duckworth to Torture Memo Author: You’ve Failed to Stand Up For What’s Right. How Can You Stand Up to Trump?
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Drawing on her experience of being shot down in Iraq, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered powerful remarks today opposing President Trump's nomination of Steven Bradbury -the author of some of the infamous Bush administration torture memos - to be General Counsel of the Department of Transportation. Citing Bradbury's role in finding legal loopholes to justify the Bush Administration's use of torture methods such as waterboarding, sleep … Continue Reading
June 27, 2017
Duckworth to Pruitt: Rolling Back Clean Water Rule Puts Millions of Americans at Risk
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), the top Democrat on the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee, today criticized Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt and the Trump Administration for repealing the Clean Water Rule, a move that threatens the safety of America's drinking water sources by repealing the Clean Water Rule and continuing to undermine critical public health protections. "Abruptly rolling back the Clean Water Rule poses a … Continue Reading
June 26, 2017
Duckworth & IL Advocates Outline How Trumpcare Would Devastate Illinois
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Illinois advocates for seniors, working families, disability rights, and mental health care today to outline the devastating effects Trumpcare would have on the state of Illinois. Speaking on a press call, Duckworth discussed how the version of Trumpcare Senate Republicans revealed on Thursday after weeks of secret negotiations would increase health care costs for working families and jeopardize the health care of hundreds of thousands … Continue Reading
June 26, 2017
Duckworth: CBO Score Must Account For GOP Budget Gimmicks That Hide True Damage of Trumpcare
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) today requesting the forthcoming CBO analysis of the Senate Republican healthcare bill account for GOP budget gimmicks that hide the true costs of Trumpcare. Specifically, Duckworth highlighted how CBO scores are generally limited to 10-year time periods but the GOP healthcare bill would delay a number of harmful changes to Medicaid from taking effect … Continue Reading
