Press Releases
In Romania, Duckworth Reiterates U.S. Commitment to NATO & Need for Continued Support to Ukraine
[BUCHAREST, ROMANIA] - On an official visit to Europe this week, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees—reaffirmed our nation’s commitment to Romania and all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as Vladimir Putin continues his unjustified and unprovoked war of choice against Ukraine. During discussions with Romanian parliamentarians, the Minister of Defense, the Secretary of State for … Continue Reading
October 07, 2023
Duckworth Statement on the Ongoing Hamas Terrorist Attack Against Israel
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees—issued the following statement after Hamas launched a horrific, coordinated attack against the people of Israel: “My heart goes out to the people of Israel as they face these horrific, unconscionable and ongoing coordinated Hamas attacks and kidnappings on Simchat Torah. The United States stands with Israel and its right to defend itself. The … Continue Reading
October 04, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Lead Colleagues in Letter to President Biden on U.S. Role in Potential Normalization Agreement Between Saudi Arabia and Israel
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Peter Welch (D-VT) in leading 15 of their Senate colleagues in a letter to President Biden, expressing their support for the prospect of normalization and sharing their views on the parameters of the United States’ involvement in a potential normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Senators … Continue Reading
October 04, 2023
Duckworth, Warren, Thompson, Ramirez Reintroduce Legislation to Address Systemic Inequities in Federal Disaster Response
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-02) and U.S. Representative Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-03) to reintroduce the Federal Emergency Management Advancement of Equity Act (or FEMA Equity Act) to address systemic inequities in the federal government’s response to disasters and how it distributes assistance. The legislation follows a … Continue Reading
October 04, 2023
Duckworth Pushes for FAA Nominee to Uphold Pilot Training Certification Standards Like the 1,500-Hour Rule, Prioritize Aviation Safety
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - During today’s U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) nominations hearing for Michael Whitaker to serve as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Chair of the CST Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—pushed for Whitaker to uphold the highest standards for airline transport pilot certification, including the 1,500-hour rule, if he is confirmed. In her remarks, … Continue Reading
October 04, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin, Brown, Senators Call for Immediate Legislative Action to Support Ukraine
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) led five other Senators in a letter urging U.S. Senate and House leaders and the Chair and Ranking Members of the U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Committees to immediately advance legislation that will provide critical and sustained security and economic support for Ukraine. Duckworth is a member of the U.S. Senate’s Foreign … Continue Reading
October 04, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Meet with Illinois Speaker of the House
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch to discuss Illinois’ humanitarian response to the arrival of more than 15,000 migrants. During their meeting, Duckworth, Durbin and Speaker Welch spoke about the need for the Biden Administration to offer critical support to Illinois as it responds to migrants arriving in the state. Duckworth and Durbin reaffirmed their … Continue Reading
October 03, 2023
Duckworth Statement on Hotel Accessibility Supreme Court Case that Threatens ADA Enforcement Nationwide
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement in advance of the Supreme Court hearing arguments in Acheson Hotels, LLC v. Deborah Laufer tomorrow. The Court’s decision could take away a valuable tool that helps ensure those in violation of the ADA can be held accountable for those violations. “This case isn’t just about legal standing, it’s about whether Americans with disabilities should be forced to travel hundreds of miles to find out if a hotel they … Continue Reading
October 03, 2023
Duckworth Calls for House Republicans to Help Ensure Uninterrupted Aid to Ukraine
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees—joined her Democratic colleagues, retired military leaders and Veterans with VoteVets to call on Congress to pass immediate additional aid for our partner in Ukraine—funding which House Republicans refused to include in the bipartisan Continuing Resolution that Congress passed to avert a government shutdown over the weekend. In her … Continue Reading
September 30, 2023
Duckworth Statement After Senate Votes to Avoid Government Shutdown
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Senate passed a bipartisan funding deal that would keep the government open and spare working families from the pain of a shutdown: “I’m relieved that at the last second today, after weeks of refusing to negotiate a compromise that could keep our government open, House Republicans finally allowed a vote on a bipartisan proposal that is free of any extreme MAGA poison pills—which Congress has now … Continue Reading
September 29, 2023
Duckworth Statement on the Passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement on the passing of her friend and colleague, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): “Our nation mourns a giant today. Dianne Feinstein was an inspiring, inspired woman who devoted her life to public service, shattering glass ceiling after glass ceiling and blazing a path for generations of women like me to follow. “Her career was full of so many firsts—first female mayor of San Francisco, first female U.S. … Continue Reading
September 28, 2023
Duckworth, Sarbanes, Sessions Reintroduce Bicameral, Bipartisan Legislation to Help Make Websites and Software Applications Accessible for Americans with Disabilities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD-03) and U.S. Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX-17) reintroduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help break down the significant barriers that Americans with disabilities continue to face when accessing websites and software applications. The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act would build on the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—passed over 33 years … Continue Reading
September 28, 2023
Duckworth Secures Commitment from DoD Nominee to Help Strengthen Military Coordination with Southeast Asian Partners
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - During a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing today on U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) nominees, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) secured a commitment from nominee to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Derek Chollet to help prioritize funding and resources for programs aimed at strengthening military coordination in Southeast Asia. These critical efforts would build on the success of a military cybersecurity partnership with … Continue Reading
September 28, 2023
Duckworth Pushes for Aviation Safety at Aero Club Luncheon
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the CST Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—joined the Aero Club Luncheon fireside chat with key leaders in the aviation industry where she underscored the ways we should improve aviation safety, expand accessibility for passengers with disabilities and support our aviation workforce in the Senate FAA … Continue Reading
September 28, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Funding to Kaskaskia Regional Port District
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $1,008,750 in federal funding to Kaskaskia Regional Port District, located in Red Bud, IL, and one of the largest inland ports in the country. Today’s federal investment through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Maritime Administration’s America’s Marine Highway Program will support the purchase of eight shuttle cars to make cargo movement more efficient and reduce congestion. “Located … Continue Reading
September 28, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $1 Million for Child Care Programs on UIC, Harper Campuses
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced federal support for the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and William Rainey Harper College in Palatine from the U.S. Department of Education’s Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS), which helps student parents, who make up more than one quarter of all college students in America, access affordable child care. Harper College will receive $499,620 … Continue Reading
September 27, 2023
Duckworth Discusses Strengthening Air Mobility with Air Mobility Command Leader
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Army Blackhawk pilot who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years—met with the commander of Air Mobility Command (AMC), General Mike Minihan, to discuss how we can best implement our air mobility strategy at home and abroad. In addition to reiterating her commitment to supporting AMC, which is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Duckworth also discussed … Continue Reading
September 27, 2023
Duckworth Urges Veterans to Apply for New PACT Act Benefits Before VA Open Enrollment Deadline
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Ahead of the September 30 deadline, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is urging all post-9/11 Veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service to apply for free healthcare and benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)’s one-year special open enrollment period. These new, expanded benefits for post-9/11 Veterans discharged more than 10 years ago were established under the PACT Act. A video of Senator Duckworth urging … Continue Reading
September 26, 2023
Duckworth Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the Landmark Rehabilitation Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) celebrated the 50th anniversary the landmark Rehabilitation Act, which prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities in federally-funded programs decades before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enshrined into law: “On the long, winding path to full accessibility and inclusion in America, the landmark Rehabilitation Act cannot be overstated. Not only did it first chip away at the barrier of exclusion by finally … Continue Reading
September 26, 2023
Duckworth Announces $139 Million For Cleaner Water In Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will receive an additional $139,698,000 in grant funding to help get lead and other contaminants out of our state’s drinking water and to substantially boost the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), thanks to her Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA), which she authored and was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Illinois leads … Continue Reading
