Press Releases
At USDA Lab Facing Closure, Duckworth Discusses Devastating Impact of Trump Budget on Rural Development and Agriculture
PEORIA, IL - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) toured the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) laboratory in Peoria - which is at risk if President Trump's budget proposal becomes law - to highlight the significant economic harm that its closure would cause the local and state economies. Peoria's National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) is the largest agricultural research center outside of the Washington D.C. area, employing hundreds of scientists and … Continue Reading
July 03, 2017
At CTA Control Center, Duckworth Outlines Trump Budget’s Disastrous Impact on Chicago Infrastructure
CHICAGO, IL - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) toured the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Control Center, underscoring the importance of federal funding for transit capital projects that face elimination under the President's proposed budget. Transit officials at the CTA Control Center monitor and regulate the agency's eight rail lines, 145 rail stations and 130 bus routes that millions of commuters rely on daily. "Infrastructure improvements are essential to the strength of our local … Continue Reading
June 30, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $40 Million For Head Start Programs
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families has awarded a total of $39,693,351 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout Illinois. "I'm proud to support programs like Head Start that give children from every corner of Illinois a fairer shot at reaching their full potential." Duckworth said. "When we invest in childhood … Continue Reading
June 29, 2017
Duckworth’s FAM Act Passes Senate Commerce Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)'s bipartisan Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2017. Duckworth's legislation would serve to support women and families nationwide by ensuring breastfeeding mothers traveling through large- and medium-sized airports have accessible, clean and convenient lactation rooms to use. "Even … Continue Reading
June 29, 2017
Duckworth’s Provisions to Create Aviation Jobs, Improve Airplane Safety and Protect Airplane Passengers with Disabilities Pass Senate Commerce Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Several provisions proposed by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to create jobs, improve airline safety and protect travelers with disabilities passed the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee today as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2017. Duckworth's proposals in the FAA Reauthorization Act, which is set to be considered by the full Senate, include: Duckworth's Local Labor Hiring Pilot Program Amendment would … Continue Reading
June 29, 2017
Duckworth Fights to Protect Passengers and Improve Flight Safety
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing this morning, former Army Black Hawk pilot and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) pushed back against efforts to reduce the number of training hours that passenger airline pilots are required to log before receiving a pilot's license that enables them to be trusted with the lives of hundreds of people. Current rules requiring pilots to log between 750 and 1500 training hours were put in place following the … Continue Reading
June 29, 2017
Senator Duckworth Introduces Legislation to Prevent EPA Region Office Closures
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), the senior-most Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee tasked with ensuring access to clean drinking water and helping prevent lead poisoning, today introduced a new bill to prevent the closure of any regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office and protect thousands of jobs across the country. Her legislation, the Recognizing the Environmental Gains in Overcoming Negligence (REGION) Act, was introduced following reports that … Continue Reading
June 28, 2017
New CBO Report Requested by Duckworth Reveals Even More Devastation from Senate GOP’s Trumpcare
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement today after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a new report at the request of Senator Duckworth and others detailing the longer-term impacts of the Senate Republican healthcare bill. CBO found that Trumpcare would cut federal Medicaid spending by 35% by 2036, further jeopardizing the health care that tens of millions of working families, seniors, children, people with disabilities … Continue Reading
June 28, 2017
Trump’s Muslim Ban Implementation Just As Illogical, Discriminatory & Un-American
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement today in response to the Trump administration's announcement that a new, modified version of its Muslim Ban will be going into effect: "This attempt at implementing the President's Muslim ban is just as illogical, discriminatory and un-American as the first two attempts. How can President Trump credibly say that some relatives are 'bona fide' relationships while grandparents and grandchildren are not? This … Continue Reading
June 27, 2017
Duckworth to Torture Memo Author: You’ve Failed to Stand Up For What’s Right. How Can You Stand Up to Trump?
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Drawing on her experience of being shot down in Iraq, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered powerful remarks today opposing President Trump's nomination of Steven Bradbury -the author of some of the infamous Bush administration torture memos - to be General Counsel of the Department of Transportation. Citing Bradbury's role in finding legal loopholes to justify the Bush Administration's use of torture methods such as waterboarding, sleep … Continue Reading
June 27, 2017
Duckworth to Pruitt: Rolling Back Clean Water Rule Puts Millions of Americans at Risk
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), the top Democrat on the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee, today criticized Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt and the Trump Administration for repealing the Clean Water Rule, a move that threatens the safety of America's drinking water sources by repealing the Clean Water Rule and continuing to undermine critical public health protections. "Abruptly rolling back the Clean Water Rule poses a … Continue Reading
June 26, 2017
Duckworth & IL Advocates Outline How Trumpcare Would Devastate Illinois
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Illinois advocates for seniors, working families, disability rights, and mental health care today to outline the devastating effects Trumpcare would have on the state of Illinois. Speaking on a press call, Duckworth discussed how the version of Trumpcare Senate Republicans revealed on Thursday after weeks of secret negotiations would increase health care costs for working families and jeopardize the health care of hundreds of thousands … Continue Reading
June 26, 2017
Duckworth: CBO Score Must Account For GOP Budget Gimmicks That Hide True Damage of Trumpcare
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) today requesting the forthcoming CBO analysis of the Senate Republican healthcare bill account for GOP budget gimmicks that hide the true costs of Trumpcare. Specifically, Duckworth highlighted how CBO scores are generally limited to 10-year time periods but the GOP healthcare bill would delay a number of harmful changes to Medicaid from taking effect … Continue Reading
June 26, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Discovery of Silver Carp in Illinois Waterway
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In response to the discovery of a Silver Carp in the Illinois Waterway nine miles away from Lake Michigan, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement: "The discovery of a Silver Carp close to Lake Michigan is alarming and I appreciate the quick response from federal, state and local agencies. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service increases its monitoring of the area and conducts a thorough analysis, my office will continue to work … Continue Reading
June 26, 2017
Duckworth Statement on CBO Analysis of Senate GOP Version of Trumpcare
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following the release of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Senate Republican healthcare plan, alternately known as Trumpcare, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released this statement: "It is shameful that Senate Republicans are taking such extreme measures to ram a bill through Congress that would rob 22 million Americans of their health insurance and force millions more to spend more money on less care - all so President Trump's … Continue Reading
June 23, 2017
Duckworth Helps Reintroduce Legislation to Expand Earned Income Tax Credits for Working Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) this week in reintroducing legislation to support working families in Illinois and across the country by expanding two anti-poverty tax credits. The Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2017 will expand eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to more Americans while making it easier to claim it, strengthen the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and also help ensure the federal tax system does not … Continue Reading
June 22, 2017
Duckworth Statement on Senate GOP Version of Trumpcare
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following the release of a so-called "discussion draft" of the Senate GOP's version of Trumpcare, legislation which threatens the care of millions of Veterans and working Americans around the country, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released this statement: "Last night, the President complained that Republicans could propose the 'single greatest health care plan in the history of the world' and Democrats would block it. That's not true. I've always been willing … Continue Reading
June 21, 2017
Duckworth, Booker Reintroduce Bill to Protect Children from Lead-Contaminated Water
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today reintroduced her Get the Lead Out of Schools Act of 2017 with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) to help ensure drinking water in schools across our nation is clean and safe from lead. The legislation would ensure periodic testing for lead contamination in schools, while also providing schools with additional resources to monitor lead levels and replace outdated water infrastructure systems. "When families send their children … Continue Reading
June 20, 2017
Duckworth, Durbin Join Lawsuit Against Trump for Foreign Conflicts of Interest
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined 194 Members of Congress in filing a lawsuit against President Donald Trump alleging that he has violated the Constitution's Foreign Emoluments Clause, one of its most important anti-corruption provisions. The suit, filed in federal district court in the District of Columbia, alleges that the President has received numerous benefits from foreign states without first seeking or … Continue Reading
June 20, 2017
Duckworth: Illinoisans Deserve Better Than Having GOP Strip Away Their Healthcare Behind Closed Doors
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor today outlining the devastating impact Trumpcare would have on Veterans, seniors and working families. Duckworth criticized Senate Republicans for writing their healthcare bill in secret behind closed doors to avoid public scrutiny and she shared the story of Robin Schmidt, a Veteran from the Northside of Chicago, who is one of the tens of millions of Americans who could lose their healthcare if … Continue Reading
