Press Releases
New Bipartisan Duckworth-Fischer Bill Introduced to Help Travelers with Disabilities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As far too many passengers with disabilities continue to experience unnecessary obstacles and challenges when flying, today U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced bipartisan legislation that would improve transparency surrounding the increasing disability-related complaints with air travel. The Prioritizing Accountability and Accessibility for Aviation Consumers Act of 2023 would ensure the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) publishes … Continue Reading
February 13, 2023
Duckworth, Ernst Urge EPA to Remove Regulatory Barrier on Ethanol, Provide Certainty for Farmers and Consumers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the Biden administration requesting they remove a regulatory barrier for gasoline-ethanol blends-like E15-by expeditiously implementing the long-awaited request of Midwest governors. This move would allow their states to sell E15 year-round, providing much-needed certainty to farmers, producers and consumers who are directly impacted by the decisions and actions of … Continue Reading
February 09, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Statement on Senate Judiciary Committee Advancing Nomination of Colleen Lawless to Serve As District Court Judge For The Central District Of Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Judge Colleen Lawless to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois: "We are pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee has once again advanced the nomination of Judge Colleen Lawless to fill a judicial … Continue Reading
February 09, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Re-Introduce Bill to Establish 1908 Springfield Race Riot Site as a National Monument
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today re-introduced legislation to designate the sites of the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield, Illinois, as a national monument. This tragedy where Black Illinoisans were targeted by white residents with violence and destruction of their homes and businesses was the catalyst for the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was founded 114 years ago this week. The … Continue Reading
February 09, 2023
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues to Introduce Bill to Repeal 1991 & 2002 AUMFs, Formally Ending Gulf and Iraq Wars
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-Today, combat Veteran U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN) and U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), Chip Roy (R-TX-21), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Tom Cole (R-OK-04) to reintroduce bipartisan legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs), formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars, and reassert Congress' Constitutional … Continue Reading
February 09, 2023
Duckworth Calls Out Southwest Airlines in First Hearing as Aviation Chair
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST), participated in her first CST hearing as Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation today and questioned Southwest Airlines and other industry executives on the failures of the airline during the 2022 holiday travel season. She called out Andrew Watterson, Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Airlines, for the company's lack … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Lead Members of Chicago Delegation In Letter to Dot, OMB To Encourage Full Support of The Red Line Extension
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) along with U.S. Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-04), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the White House Office of Management … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
In Wake of Big Oil’s Record Profits, Duckworth, Blumenthal & Murray Will Reintroduce Bill to Make Gas Price Gouging Illegal & Save Working Americans Money
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following the news that Big Oil companies made record-breaking profits last year while working families struggled to afford sky-high gas prices, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Patty Murray (D-WA) will reintroduce legislation that would crack down on this sort of corporate greed by preventing the oil industry from engaging in gasoline price gouging. Specifically, the Gas Price Gouging Prevention Act would make it unlawful to sell … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Join Senate Colleagues in Reintroducing Legislation to Ban High-Capacity Magazines
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and 25 Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Keep Americans Safe Act, renewing efforts to ban the importation, sale, manufacturing, transfer, or possession of gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. High-capacity ammunition magazines allow shooters to fire a large number of bullets without stopping to reload. As a result, from … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
Duckworth Joins Klobuchar and Sullivan in Introducing Bipartisan Legislation to Address the Shortage of Affordable Childcare
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in introducing bipartisan legislation to address the nationwide shortage of affordable childcare. The Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act would provide competitive grants for states to train childcare workers and build or renovate childcare facilities. Families across the country are struggling to access available childcare, with rural communities increasingly … Continue Reading
February 07, 2023
Duckworth Statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after President Biden's State of the Union address: "After two years in office, President Biden reminded us tonight of the significant accomplishments Democrats delivered on for working families across the country. Because of our work-and despite Republican obstruction-we're lowering the cost of prescription drugs for seniors on Medicare, bringing down inflation, investing in infrastructure … Continue Reading
February 07, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Meet with Illinois Higher Education Leaders
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the leadership and members of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA), which represents 48 community colleges across Illinois and the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities (FIICU), which represents 56 private nonprofit colleges across Illinois. During their meetings, the Senators spoke about the rising cost of higher education and … Continue Reading
February 06, 2023
Duckworth to Host Metro East Doctor Erin King at State of the Union, Highlighting Need to Protect Women’s Health Access
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Dr. Erin King of Illinois's Hope Clinic will be her 2023 State of the Union guest, as part of the Senator's continuing efforts to underscore the importance of a woman's right to choose and defend Americans' right to full, comprehensive reproductive healthcare-no matter their zip code, income, ability status or skin color. "When Roe v. Wade fell, a ripple of panic and grief could be felt throughout our country," said … Continue Reading
February 03, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin, Foster, Underwood Introduce Resolution to Name Fermilab Research Center After Renowned Physicist Dr. Helen Edwards
[WASHINGTON, DC]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) introduced a bicameral resolution to rename Fermilab's Integrated Engineering Research Center (IERC) after the late Dr. Helen Edwards, who worked at Fermilab as a particle physicist for 40 years. The IERC will be home to new office and lab space that will host an intersection of scientific disciplines. "Illinois's own … Continue Reading
February 03, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Join Shaheen and Tillis in Sending Bipartisan Letter to POTUS Urging Delay of F-16 Sales to Turkey Until Its Approval of NATO Accession Protocols for Sweden & Finland
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC)-co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group-in sending a bipartisan letter to President Biden expressing concern about the Republic of Türkiye's (Turkey) continued delays around ratifying the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) accession protocols for Sweden and Finland. The letter states that congressional … Continue Reading
February 02, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin to Pharmacies: How Can Congress Support Efforts to Improve Access to Reproductive Health Care?
[WASHINGTON, DC]- U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to Rosalind Brew, CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance; Karen Lynch, President and CEO of CVS Health; and Elizabeth "Busy" Burr, Interim CEO of Rite Aid Corporation, commending the pharmacies for publicly committing to seek certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to dispense medication abortion pills to those with a … Continue Reading
February 02, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Statement on Senate Judiciary Committee Advancing Nomination of Lindsay Jenkins to Serve As District Court Judge For The Northern District Of Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Lindsay C. Jenkins' nomination to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Based on recommendations made by the screening committee the Senators established in the Northern District, Duckworth and Durbin … Continue Reading
February 02, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Join Congressional Colleagues to Reintroduce Safe Firearm Storage Legislation
[WASHINGTON, DC]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) to reintroduce Ethan's Law, legislation that would ensure gun owners safely and securely store their firearms. Named in honor of Ethan Song, a teenager from Guilford, Connecticut, who was tragically killed in 2018 by an unsecured gun in a neighbor's home, the bill would create … Continue Reading
February 02, 2023
Ahead of 30th Anniversary of FMLA, Duckworth and Casten Re-Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Ensure Education Support Professionals Can Access FMLA Benefits
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)-landmark legislation that guaranteed a segment of the workforce unpaid leave to care for their newborns and sick loved ones-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) are reintroducing the bipartisan ESP and School Support Staff Family Leave Act to help expand the FMLA and ensure it covers the 2.7 million education support professionals (ESPs) who are currently … Continue Reading
February 01, 2023
Duckworth Joins Kaine and Braun in Introducing Bipartisan Bill to Help More Americans Access High-Quality Job Training, Get Good-Paying Jobs
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this week joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mike Braun (R-IN) in reintroducing the bipartisan Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, legislation to help more Americans get good-paying jobs by allowing students to use federal Pell Grants to afford high-quality, shorter-term job training programs for the first time. Pell Grants are need-based education grants for low-income and working students. As of now, … Continue Reading
