Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $46.8 Million for Head Start Programs in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $46,851,870 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to support Head Start services for children under the age of five in receiving wrap-around support in early learning and development. "Head Start and Early Head Start programs are critical for kids throughout Illinois to have the tools they need to succeed both inside and outside of the … Continue Reading
July 21, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More than $12.2 Million For Health Care Research in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $12,245,863 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) biomedical research grants for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from vascular diseases to mental health research. "By increasing support for biomedical research, we can help deliver real public … Continue Reading
July 21, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin, Krishnamoorthi, Newman Urge Surface Transportation Board to Oppose Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern Rail Merger
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]-U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8) and Marie Newman (D-IL-3) today sent a letter to Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Martin Oberman urging the STB to oppose the Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroad merger as proposed because of concerns about noise pollution, blocked crossings, safety conditions, and commuter rail delays. "We write to … Continue Reading
July 20, 2022
Duckworth: Weapons of War Should be Banned, Not be Marketed or Sold to Untrained Civilians
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following the preventable, horrific Highland Park massacre that claimed the lives of seven Illinoisans on the Fourth of July, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered impassioned opening remarks to a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on protecting our communities from mass shootings this morning. The Senator, a mother of two young daughters, emphasized that our nation's gun violence epidemic is now the leading cause of death for young Americans and … Continue Reading
July 19, 2022
Duckworth Joins Sullivan, Colleagues in a Bipartisan Request to Defense Department to Expedite Critical Military Aid to Ukraine
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and four colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, asking them to immediately expedite shipments of military equipment to Ukraine as appropriated by Congress under the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act. Passed on May 19, the act provided nearly $20 … Continue Reading
July 19, 2022
Duckworth Joins Sullivan, Colleagues in a Bipartisan Request to Defense Department to Expedite Critical Military Aid to Ukraine
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and four colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, asking them to immediately expedite shipments of military equipment to Ukraine as appropriated by Congress under the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act. Passed on May 19, the act provided nearly $20 … Continue Reading
July 18, 2022
Duckworth Joins Warren and Colleagues in Urging the Biden Administration to Declare a National and Public Health Emergency on Reproductive Rights
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and a group of 16 Senate Democrats in writing to President Biden and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, urging them to immediately declare national and public health emergencies over Americans' access to reproductive care. "As President of the United States and Secretary of Health and Human Services, you have the authority to declare a national emergency and public … Continue Reading
July 18, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin, Casten, Quigley, Newman Urge Postmaster General Dejoy to Protect Letter Carriers After Uptick in Mail Carrier Robberies
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]- U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL-6), Mike Quigley (D-IL-5), and Marie Newman (D-IL-3) today sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging him to take action to protect letter carriers after crimes against U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees tripled since 2018. In their letter, the lawmakers call on Postmaster General DeJoy to implement an alerting policy to ensure that … Continue Reading
July 15, 2022
Duckworth in Metro East Healthcare Meeting: We Need to Protect Abortion Patients
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday joined a call with leadership of the Hope Clinic for Women, an abortion provider in the Metro East, as well as Granite City Mayor Michael Parkinson and Granite City Police Chief Mike Nordstrom to discuss security and compassionate care at the facility. With Roe now overturned and Illinois continuing to serve as a beacon for thousands of Americans traveling for abortions, Duckworth and the group discussed the now-intensified … Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
Duckworth Speaks with Illinois Corn Growers and Illinois Soybean Association
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday met with Illinois Corn Growers and Illinois Soybean Association members to discuss how she can continue to support our nation's corn and soybean growers and rural communities in Illinois, including through the 2023 Farm Bill. During the meetings, Duckworth also discussed with the group how protecting our state's waterways and incentivizing agricultural production for renewable fuels can help grow Illinois's agriculture … Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Introduce Bill to Establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historic Park
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation to establish the Prairie du Rocher French Colonial National Historic Park to recognize the importance of Prairie du Rocher and the French Colonial Historic District as a nationally significant architectural village that embodies the cultural heritage of the United States. This National Historical Park would serve as the focus of interpretive and educational programs relating to … Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
Duckworth: Anyone Who’s Ever Carried an Assault Weapon Into Combat Understands AR-15s Have No Place on America’s Streets
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following the preventable, horrific Highland Park massacre that claimed the lives of seven Illinoisans on the Fourth of July, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) went to the Senate floor earlier today and made an impassioned call for additional commonsense gun safety reforms like reinstating the assault weapons ban to get weapons of war off our streets and protect our nation's children as well as communities across America from senseless gun violence. Video of the … Continue Reading
July 13, 2022
Duckworth Introduces Bill to Strengthen Nationwide Air Monitoring and Protect Public Health
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), co-founder and co-chair of the Senate's first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus, introduced the Public Health Air Quality Act of 2022 to strengthen our national air monitoring system to help provide clean air for all. This legislation would direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update and increase our air monitoring equipment, improve data collection and sharing and implement fenceline monitoring for toxic air … Continue Reading
July 12, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Meet with Highland Park Residents Following July 4th Mass Shooting
[WASHINGTON, D.C.]- U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Highland Park, Illinois, residents and members of March Fourth, a gun safety advocacy group, following the Highland Park mass shooting on July 4 that resulted in the deaths of seven people and injured dozens more. During the meeting, Highland Park residents shared their experiences from the shooting and the toll that attack has had on them and their families. Duckworth and … Continue Reading
July 12, 2022
Duckworth at Gun Reform Rally: Enough Was Enough a Long Time Ago
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined mothers from the Highland Park area, as well as survivors from the July 4th massacre and other mass shootings like Uvalde and Parkland at a rally on Capitol Hill to speak out about the need for additional commonsense gun safety reforms. Duckworth, a mother of two young daughters, emphasized the moral obligation to protect our nation's children and every community across America from senseless gun violence. Duckworth … Continue Reading
July 11, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Join Schatz and Senate Colleagues in Urging Department Of Justice to Ensure Americans with Disabilities Act Applies to the Internet
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and a group of nine Senators in calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to support online protections for Americans with disabilities. The Senators asked DOJ to restart a rulemaking process under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to establish new rules ensuring that the ADA applies to the Internet. "The United States has invested billions … Continue Reading
July 11, 2022
Duckworth Statement on Bipartisan Gun Safety Reform Ceremony: “Our Work to Save Lives Must Continue”
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the White House today commemorated the monumental passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a bipartisan package of commonsense gun safety reforms to help curb our nation's gun violence epidemic: "After decades of inaction, I'm proud to have joined both Democrats and Republicans in finally breaking the log jam and passing this bipartisan gun safety package that will enhance background checks, … Continue Reading
July 08, 2022
Duckworth Applauds Biden Administration’s Bill of Rights for Airline Passengers with Disabilities
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after Secretary of Transportation announced the first-ever Bill of Rights for airline passengers with disabilities: "Far too many Americans living with a disability-many of whom are Veterans like myself-face unnecessary and harmful challenges during air travel. As someone who has experienced these challenges firsthand, I understand how inaccessibility profoundly impacts travelers with disabilities, so I'm … Continue Reading
July 08, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $2,000,000 for WIU’s New Emergency Operations Center
[MACOMB, IL]- U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $2,000,000 in new Congressionally Directed Spending they secured in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 omnibus appropriations bill for Western Illinois University's (WIU) new Emergency Operations Center. The federal funds will renovate WIU's library to add a permanent emergency operations center (EOC) for the region. The center will also train public safety professionals and provide apprenticeships for the next … Continue Reading
July 07, 2022
Following a Duckworth Request, President Biden Honors Trailblazing Brigadier General Vaught with Medal of Freedom
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), issued the following statement after President Biden heeded her call and awarded Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught, a retired Veteran of the U.S. Air Force, the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House today for her barrier-breaking military career and life-long advocacy for the women who serve in … Continue Reading
