Press Releases
Duckworth Defends Disabled American Veterans as Senate Republicans Promote Trump’s Dangerous Efforts to Take Away More of Their Benefits
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—lambasted Republicans for platforming a false, dangerous narrative designed to help Donald Trump rip as many promised benefits as possible from disabled American Veterans who earned them through their sacrifices in uniform. During the SVAC hearing, Duckworth derided the cherry-picked, anecdotal evidence Republicans used to try and inaccurately characterize … Continue Reading
October 30, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Join Luján and Senate Democrats in Effort to Stop Trump Administration from Illegally Withholding Funding for Nutrition Assistance Programs That Feed American Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025, legislation that would help prevent the Trump Administration from illegally withholding available funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). … Continue Reading
October 30, 2025
Duckworth Announces Support for Republican-Led Bill to Keep SNAP Funded Through Government Shutdown, Demands Republican Leadership Call It For a Vote
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement announcing her support of U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) bill to keep SNAP funded until the government shutdown ends, which Republican leadership is refusing to bring up for a vote: “Donald Trump has the ability, right now, to keep funding SNAP. He is choosing not to use the nearly $6 billion he has available to him to keep the program funded. There is even a Republican-led bill that would keep … Continue Reading
October 29, 2025
Duckworth, Schiff, Senate Democrats Demand Answers on Financing of President Trump’s White House Ballroom
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and 10 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in launching a new push for answers into the financing of Donald Trump’s White House ballroom, which includes private donations from individuals and corporations whose business interests are directly impacted by the administration and its decisions. In a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles following the recent release of a list of donors, … Continue Reading
October 28, 2025
Duckworth Joins Van Hollen, Merkley, Castor, Frost, Colleagues in Pressing Trump Administration on Israeli Detention of 16-year-old U.S. Citizen
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) and Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10) in pressing the Trump Administration on the detention of Mohammed Zaher Ibrahim, a 16-year-old American citizen who has been held in Israel’s custody without trial since February 16, 2025. “We write with grave concern regarding the detention without trial of Mohammed Zaher Ibrahim. Mohammed is … Continue Reading
October 28, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin, Join Merkley in Calling for CBO Probe Into Cost of Trump’s National Guard Deployment to American Cities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in leading several of their Senate colleagues in calling on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to probe the cost of the Trump Administration’s brazen decision to deploy National Guard personnel to U.S. cities. President Trump has ordered troops into major cities across the country, including … Continue Reading
October 28, 2025
Duckworth Leads Colleagues in Denouncing FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s Unlawful Plan to Increase Costs for Law-Abiding Americans with Incarcerated Loved Ones
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—author of the historic, bipartisan Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act that was signed into law in 2023—led her colleagues in denouncing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr’s decision to block Duckworth’s law from going into effect, a critical reform that will help end egregious prison phone rates and make it easier for innocent family members to regularly communicate with their incarcerated … Continue Reading
October 24, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin, Senate Democratic Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Pay All Federal Employees, Servicemembers and Contractors During Shutdown
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and more than 20 of their Senate Democratic Colleagues to introduce legislation that would pay all federal employees - both those excepted and furloughed - as well as servicemembers and federal contractors during the current Republican shutdown. The Senators’ legislation, the True Shutdown Fairness Act, would immediately restart pay for … Continue Reading
October 24, 2025
Duckworth Leads Colleagues in Demanding Trump Administration End Extreme & Dangerous Enforcement Activities Near Schools
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led seven of her Senate colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration take immediate action to ensure the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stops conducting aggressive, extreme and dangerous civil enforcement activities within 1,000 feet of any school properties where our nation’s children should be learning, not terrorized. In a letter sent to U.S. Department of Education, the Senators call on Secretary McMahon to hold DHS … Continue Reading
October 24, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Statement on Trump Administration Denying Illinois Two Federal Disaster Declarations Following Severe Summer Weather
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Trump Administration denied Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s requests for Individual Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following two bouts of severe storms on July 25-28 and August 16-19: “Denying two disaster declarations for Illinois is yet another troubling example of the Trump Administration putting politics … Continue Reading
October 20, 2025
Duckworth Calls for Investigation into Federal Agents’ Excessive Use of Force in Chicago
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) called for an independent investigation into the outrageous use of force by federal agents involved in “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago. In a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Inspector General and (OIG) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) OIG, Duckworth requests the offices establish a joint task force for investigation after Trump’s agents repeatedly deployed tear gas, pepper balls and flash-bang grenades … Continue Reading
October 17, 2025
Duckworth Demands Trump Administration Stop Forcing Law Enforcement to Abandon Criminal Investigations for ICE’s Reckless Civil Enforcement
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is demanding the Trump Administration stop the dangerous diversion of federal law enforcement personnel and resources to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) reckless operations, in turn making our communities less safe. In a letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, Duckworth condemned the Administration for weakening crime-fighting operations in favor … Continue Reading
October 17, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Demand ICE and CBP Enforce Body Camera Requirements in Compliance with Federal Order
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) are demanding that the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) act immediately to ensure all U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) law enforcement officers assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wear and activate body-worn cameras (BWCs) when carrying out civil immigration enforcement operations in Illinois, in compliance with agency policy and a lawful order from a … Continue Reading
October 16, 2025
Duckworth Statement on Trump’s So-Called ‘Support’ for IVF
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced new IVF guidance and actions that failed to mandate insurance carriers to cover IVF, failed to enhance Federal subsidies for IVF treatments, failed to expand IVF requirements under the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program and failed to direct the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to eliminate onerous causation requirements that … Continue Reading
October 16, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin, Ramirez Reintroduce Bicameral Resolution Honoring Wadee Alfayoumi
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-03) led more than a dozen of their colleagues in the bicameral reintroduction of their resolution honoring the life of Wadee Alfayoumi, the six-year-old Palestinian boy murdered October 14, 2023 in a hate crime for his Palestinian Muslim identity. The resolution affirms that no one, especially children, should be a target of hate because of … Continue Reading
October 15, 2025
Duckworth Slams Hegseth’s Un-American Restrictions on Freedom of Speech, Attempt to Silence the Free Press
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring from military service at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, today released the following statement regarding Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s new restrictions on the media’s First Amendment right to report on and help ensure transparency at the Pentagon. The un-American restrictions on free speech that Hegseth—who famously is responsible for, but has yet to … Continue Reading
October 15, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Demand Trump Administration Cease Its Misuse of Critical Chicago Infrastructure for Its Dangerous and Unnecessary Enforcement Actions
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) are demanding that the Trump Administration stop misusing the Chicago Harbor Lock as it continues its dangerous, extreme and inhumane federal invasion of Chicago. In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the Senators questioned why DoD and DHS have utilized critical U.S. Army Corps of Engineer facilities—meant for flood control, directing boat traffic, … Continue Reading
October 15, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Statement on Stellantis Investment in Belvidere Assembly Plant
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement on Stellantis’ $600 million investment into the Belvidere Assembly plant in Illinois, which will allow the plant to fully reopen and support 3,300 jobs: “Stellantis’ $600 million investment in Belvidere Assembly plant is welcome news. With this sizeable investment, we expect thousands of workers to return to the assembly line. We are encouraged … Continue Reading
October 14, 2025
Duckworth Undergoes Preplanned Procedure at Walter Reed
[BETHESDA, MD] - A spokesperson for U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement: “Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth underwent a long-awaited, preplanned procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to address residual pain and mobility constraints associated with her combat wounds. She expects to be back on Capitol Hill later this … Continue Reading
October 14, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin, Illinois Delegation Members Pen Letter to Health Insurance Companies, Seeking Answers About Cost of Republicans’ Inaction on Extending ACA Tax Credits
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) led all Democratic members of the Illinois congressional delegation in sending a letter to health insurance companies to request answers about how the potential expiration of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits would impact Illinoisans using the marketplace to purchase insurance. Today’s letter comes as the Republican-led government shutdown continues and … Continue Reading