Press Releases
Duckworth, Senate Democratic Veterans Slam Trump and Musk for Erasing Legacy of American Military Heroes from Department of Defense Websites
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC) and Veterans’ Affairs Committees (SVAC)—led a group of her fellow Senate Democratic Veterans, including SASC Ranking Member Jack Reed, SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, in issuing the following joint statement rebuking President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, two greedy billionaires who never served a day in uniform, for purging dozens of pages … Continue Reading
March 19, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Lead Members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in Letter Requesting Answers Regarding SBA Administration's Decision to Relocate Chicago Office
[CHICAGO, IL] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with members of the Illinois Congressional delegation, sent a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler requesting additional information over the Administration’s announcement to relocate six of its regional offices that do not “comply” with the Administration’s immigration policies, including … Continue Reading
March 19, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues to Push Back on Proposed Cuts to Disaster Recovery Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), along with 40 of their Senate colleagues, in pushing back on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner’s proposed cuts to crucial disaster recovery programs that are under the umbrella of HUD. The cuts would reduce employees at HUD’s office of Community Planning and Development, which administers the … Continue Reading
March 14, 2025
Duckworth, Kim Slam Senate Republicans for Voting Against Giving Veterans Their Jobs Back After They Were Fired in Trump-Musk Mass Layoffs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC)—and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) issued the following statement slamming Senate Republicans for voting against an amendment version of their Protect Veteran Jobs Act—legislation that would reinstate Veterans who were fired from their jobs as part of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate purge of federal employees: “Senate Republicans love to say … Continue Reading
March 14, 2025
Duckworth Will Vote No on Republican Bill That Would Cement Elon Musk’s Harmful DOGE Cuts at the Expense of Middle-Class Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement announcing she will vote no on Republicans’ extremely harmful continuing resolution: “I refuse to vote for Republicans’ highly-partisan slush fund bill that grants Donald Trump and co-President Elon Musk permission to continue rigging our government and our economy against the middle class. After weeks of an unelected billionaire taking a chainsaw to programs and services that millions depend on, … Continue Reading
March 13, 2025
Duckworth, Booker Statement as Trump Administration Moves to Shut Down All EPA Environmental Justice Offices and Slash Dozens of Critical Regulations That Help Protect Public Health and Environment
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ)—founding co-chairs of the Senate’s first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus—issued the following statement after the Trump Administration moved to close all the environmental justice offices within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and slash over 30 EPA regulations that have helped protect our nation’s public health and the environment for decades: “The Trump Administration seems determined to … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Duckworth, Collins, Shaheen, Capito Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Honor Girl Scouts of America
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)—co-chairs of the Girl Scouts’ Honorary Troop Capitol Hill—introduced a bipartisan resolution to recognize the 113th birthday of the Girl Scouts of America and celebrate its historic legacy of empowering girls and building powerful female leaders across the country. “I still use the leadership skills that I developed in the Girl Scouts as a young woman every … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Duckworth, Warren, Democrats to Hegseth: Ending DoD Climate Change Programs Threatens National Security, Puts American Lives and Billions of Taxpayer Dollars at Risk
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—joined her fellow SASC Democratic colleagues Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) in demanding answers from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth regarding his threats to cut efforts to adapt to climate change at the Department of Defense (DoD), which would put thousands of American lives and billions of American taxpayer … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Duckworth Statement After Trump and Elon Musk Gutted Education Department at the Expense of Children and Middle-Class Americans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after Donald Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk took action to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, laying off more than 1,300 employees after nearly 600 accepted offers to leave voluntarily: “By taking a chainsaw to our workforce at the Education Department, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are jeopardizing critical support for teachers, loan assistance for student borrowers and the promise … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Duckworth Reacts to NTSB Report on Horrific DCA Aircraft Collision
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the CST Aviation Subcommittee—issued the following statement after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) unveiled a preliminary report on the horrific DCA aircraft collision that occurred on January 29, 2025: “I’m thankful for the NTSB’s work to uncover the facts and circumstances that led to the horrific DCA aircraft … Continue Reading
March 10, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Demand Answers About the Effect of Trump Administration's Infrastructure Funding Pause on Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy criticizing the Trump Administration’s mismanagement of federal funding for Illinois transportation and infrastructure projects. In their letter, the Senators called for more clarity on the future of transportation and infrastructure grants and formula funding for states that were included in the Infrastructure Investment and … Continue Reading
March 10, 2025
Duckworth Joins Hirono, Peters, Pressley in Introducing Resolution to Recognize Abortion Providers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) and U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) in reintroducing a bicameral resolution honoring abortion providers and staff by designating March 10, 2025 as “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.” The Abortion Provider Appreciation Day resolution affirms that abortion providers are valued as they provide reproductive care despite pressures, restrictions, political … Continue Reading
March 10, 2025
Duckworth, Kim Introduce Legislation to Reinstate Veterans Who Were Fired in Trump and Elon Musk’s Indiscriminate Federal Employee Purge
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC)—and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, legislation that would reinstate Veterans who were fired from their jobs as part of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate purge of federal employees. Veterans make up more than 30 percent of the federal workforce and it is estimated that Trump and Musk have already fired more … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin, Sorensen, Grassley, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Sustain Workload at Rock Island Arsenal
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joins U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), along with U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), in introducing bipartisan legislation to boost workload at U.S. Army arsenals, including Rock Island Arsenal. The Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act would incentivize private industry to partner with arsenals by giving preference to public-private partnerships in Army … Continue Reading
March 06, 2025
Duckworth and Fellow Veterans’ Affairs Committee Democrats Demand Immediate Answers on VA Secretary Collins’ Disastrous Plan to Cut 83,000 VA Jobs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—joined SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), all other SVAC Democrats and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA-39) in demanding immediate answers from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins regarding the disastrous impact of the Trump Administration’s plans to cut more than 80,000 VA employees … Continue Reading
March 06, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Urge President Trump to Reverse Tariffs That Could Devastate Farmers and Raise Food Prices
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, along with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), today joined 12 other Senators in urging President Trump to reconsider recently imposed tariffs that threaten American farmers, ranchers, businesses and consumers. The tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will make it harder for farmers to sell their products, increase … Continue Reading
March 06, 2025
Duckworth, Democrats Demand Answers from Trump and VA Secretary Collins on Indiscriminate Firing of Veterans and VA Employees, Including Veterans Crisis Line Staff
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC)—led her fellow Democratic colleagues in demanding answers from President Donald Trump and Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins on their indiscriminate purge of Veterans and VA employees, including staff who help operate the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), under the direction of unelected co-president Elon Musk and his Department of Government … Continue Reading
March 05, 2025
Duckworth Reacts to Trump’s Plan to Fire More Than 80,000 VA Employees Which Would Further Jeopardize Veterans’ Access to Care
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—issued the following statement in response to reporting on an internal memo from senior Trump Administration officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) detailing their plans to fire more than 80,000 VA employees this year, after the VA already fired over 2,400 VA employees last month: “Since the bipartisan PACT Act overhauled our VA to better … Continue Reading
March 05, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Meet with Illinois State Association of Counties
{WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) yesterday met with representatives from the Illinois State Association of Counties to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s funding freeze on Illinois. During this meeting, Durbin and Duckworth heard directly from county leaders about affected transportation and infrastructure projects. Last week, Durbin and Duckworth joined Illinois leaders to send a letter to the White … Continue Reading
March 04, 2025
Duckworth Reacts to Trump’s Joint Address to Congress
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement in reaction to President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress, in which he outlined his harmful agenda that would benefit already-wealthy billionaires at the expense of middle-class Americans: “Donald Trump promised he’d lower costs for middle-class Americans, but clearly that was a lie he sold to get elected. In reality, we’re continuing to watch Trump and Elon Musk take a chainsaw to programs … Continue Reading