Press Releases
Duckworth Bill to Make Public Transit More Accessible Included in Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) celebrated how the inclusion of a modified version of her All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help Americans with disabilities and improve their lives by helping make transit stations more accessible. According to the Federal Transit Administration, as of 2019 nearly 20 percent of all transit stations were not ADA accessible. Duckworth's provisions will provide $1.75 billion over … Continue Reading
August 03, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $5.7 Million in American Rescue Plan Funding To Increase Vaccine Access
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announce a total of $5.7 million in American Rescue Plan funding awarded to six Chicagoland health care providers to increase COVID-19 vaccinations in underserved communities. The funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will go to community-based organizations that are working to build vaccine confidence, … Continue Reading
August 03, 2021
Duckworth Meets With Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to Discuss U.S.-Indonesia Relations
Meeting Follows Duckworth's Announcement of 3.5 Million More American Vaccines to Indonesia as Part of Biden Administration's Global Vaccination Efforts [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday met with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at the Embassy of Indonesia to discuss multiple important issues, including vaccine distribution, trade and national security. Duckworth lived in Indonesia as a child before serving in the United States Reserve Forces for 23 … Continue Reading
August 03, 2021
Duckworth and Durbin Highlight Clean Water Initiatives in Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal That Would Help Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chair of the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works' (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water & Wildlife, and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted billions of dollars in funding for clean water infrastructure and projects included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal that will help protect Illinoisans and improve water safety across the state. Currently, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal fully authorizes … Continue Reading
August 03, 2021
Duckworth, Booker Re-introduce Bill to Improve Disaster Response and Recovery Plans in Prisons
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) re-introduced legislation that would ensure prison disaster response and recovery plans protect the health, safety and civil rights of incarcerated individuals during natural disasters and public health emergencies. The legislation follows a U.S. Government Accountability Office report-which is part of Duckworth and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan's (D-NH) requested review of the Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) emergency … Continue Reading
August 02, 2021
Duckworth Helps Welcome Afghans Who Supported American Troops to the United States
Senator thanks Afghans who risked their lives-and their families' safety-to support U.S. mission in Afghanistan during bipartisan Congressional Delegation visit to Fort Lee [FORT LEE, VA] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement today after joining a bipartisan Congressional Delegation visit to Fort Lee, Virginia, to help welcome Afghan interpreters and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients relocated to the United States after they put … Continue Reading
July 31, 2021
Duckworth Announces Additional Shipment of 3.5 Million American Vaccine Doses to Indonesia as Part of Biden Administration’s Global Vaccination Efforts
New donation brings total American doses sent to Indonesia to 8 million [WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the shipment of another 3.5 million American doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Indonesia as part of the Biden Administration's global vaccination efforts, bringing the total to 8 million American doses donated to Indonesia. Duckworth spoke about this additional donation last week with the Indonesian Chargé d'Affaires in … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
Duckworth & Cohen Re-Introduce Legislation to Improve School Bus Safety Ahead of Students Going Back to School
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As students across Illinois prepare to return to school for the beginning of the new school year, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) Committee, and Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) re-introduced the School Bus Safety Act to help keep students safe as they travel to and from school while also helping prevent accidents involving school buses. Their legislation would implement safety recommendations from … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
Duckworth Urges SBA to Assist Minority Owners Shut Out of Restaurant Revitalization Fund
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is calling for more assistance for minority owned-businesses as they recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19. In a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabel Guzman, Duckworth asked Guzman to use any and all available authorities to assist the more than 2,900 women-, minority- and Veteran-owned small businesses that were denied Restaurant Revitalization Fund assistance that Congress intended for them to … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
Duckworth Votes to Pass the Bipartisan Compromise to Reimburse National Guard & Capitol Police for Insurrection Response Costs, Improve Afghan SIV Program
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after voting yes on the emergency supplemental bill to reimburse the National Guard, the United States Capitol Police (USCP) and other law enforcement for costs incurred responding to the January 6th insurrection, repair damage to the Capitol and invest in security upgrades to be better prepared for a future attack and improve the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program to help bring Afghani interpreters and … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
Duckworth, Gillibrand and Casey Lead Call For Greater Investment in Care Economy
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Bob Casey (D-PA) led a group of 15 Senators today in calling for greater investment in the care economy. In a letter today to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senate Committee on Budget Chair Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Chair Ron Wyden and U.S. Senate HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray, the Senators called for investments in the care economy to be part of the Build Back … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
Duckworth, Cassidy Introduce Legislation to Expand Charitable Deduction Rules for Veterans Organizations
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La) introduced the Charitable Equity for Veterans Act to overturn a provision that prohibits veteran organizations from accepting tax-deductible donations if their membership contains over 10 percent peacetime veterans. "Veterans organizations provide vital support, assistance and community programming for those who served our nation," said Senator Duckworth. "I'm proud to co-lead this legislation to reform … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $4 Million in American Rescue Plan Act Funding to Chicagoland Health Centers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $4,803,500 in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to four Chicago-area primary care healthcare centers. This ARP investment, allocated through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will help these healthcare providers both respond to the ongoing pandemic through equity-based vaccine efforts and enhance their services and … Continue Reading
July 28, 2021
Duckworth to DoD and State: Take Swift Action to Find Alternative Employment Verification for Afghan Translators
[WASHINGTON, DC] - As our nation continues to draw down on troops in Afghanistan, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to immediately take action to develop and implement additional means of employment verification for applicants in the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. In part, Duckworth wrote: "Given the urgent threat … Continue Reading
July 28, 2021
During Week of ADA Anniversary, Duckworth, Casey, Feinstein, DeSaulnier, Young Re-Introduce Bill to Make Fitness Facilities More Accessible for People with Disabilities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) re-introduced a bill today to make fitness facilities across America more accessible for those with disabilities. The Exercise and Fitness for All Act of 2021 would authorize the U.S. Access Board, a federal agency that promotes accessibility, to issue new guidelines specifying the number and types of accessible equipment a fitness facility should have. The legislation would also ensure the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issues … Continue Reading
July 27, 2021
Duckworth Discusses GOP Efforts to Restrict Americans Voting Rights with Texas State Representatives
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met virtually with Gene Wu, Texas State Representative for the 137th District, Vikki Goodwin, Texas State Representative for the 47th District, Shane Thierry, Texas State Representative for the 146th District and members of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus Delegation about the need to pass federal legislation to protect voting rights. They also discussed the impact of voter suppression bills and efforts from Republicans … Continue Reading
July 27, 2021
Duckworth Meets with Illinois House Speaker Welch to Discuss Working Together for Illinoisans
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Illinois House of Representatives Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch to discuss their shared priorities to help working families across Illinois. Duckworth and Welch discussed the importance of American Rescue Plan funding for state and local governments across the state as well as the need for federal infrastructure funding for Illinois. A photo of today's meeting is available here. "As our state and local governments work to … Continue Reading
July 27, 2021
After ADA’s 31st Birthday, Duckworth Re-Introduces Bill to Strengthen the Landmark Civil Rights Law & Help More Small Businesses Become Accessible
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) re-introduced legislation today to make it easier for small businesses to comply with the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and become accessible for people with disabilities. Duckworth's Disabled Access Credit Expansion Act of 2021 bolsters the existing Disabled Access Credit (DAC), which helps businesses pay for renovations by doubling the maximum tax credit and allowing more small businesses to receive it. Her legislation … Continue Reading
July 27, 2021
Duckworth, 75 Members Request Immediate Guidance for States to Extend Postpartum Medicaid Coverage
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), along with U.S. Representatives Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-02), Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-03) led a bipartisan group of 14 Senators and 62 House Members in writing to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to request that CMS take immediate steps to … Continue Reading
July 27, 2021
Duckworth Joins Warnock in Calling on Congress to Reimburse National Guard & U.S. Capitol Police after January 6th Insurrection, Improve Efforts to Protect Afghan Interpreters who Helped US Troops
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In a letter to Senate leadership and the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) to urge their colleagues to allocate necessary supplemental funds to the National Guard and U.S. Capitol Police to cover the unanticipated costs associated with responding to the January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. The lawmakers also requested their … Continue Reading
