Press Releases
Duckworth, Durbin, Senate Democrats Unveil Legislation to Cut Taxes for Workers & Families
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Ahead of tax day and the IRS Commissioner's annual appearance before the Senate and House today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) helped lead Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to lead 44 Senators - including Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) - in introducing the Working Families Tax Relief Act. At a time when wages are stagnant and the cost of childcare has exploded, the Working Families Tax Relief Act would cut taxes for workers and … Continue Reading
April 10, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $1 Million to Help Eliminate Housing Discrimination in Chicagoland Area
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $1,099,629.66 in federal funding to help eliminate housing discrimination in Chicago and assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP). "Families searching for a new place to live should not have to worry about being denied access … Continue Reading
April 10, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $250,000 for Minority Business Development in Chicago
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $250,000 in federal funding to help provide technical assistance and business development services to minority-owned businesses through Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). "If we want to create new economic opportunities for working families, we need to make it easier for minority … Continue Reading
April 10, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues to Push for Repeal of Muslim Travel Ban, Prevent Future Discriminatory Bans
[WASHINGTON D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) today to introduce bicameral legislation to repeal President Donald Trump's existing executive order blocking travel from majority Muslim countries and prevent another baseless, discriminatory travel ban from happening again. The National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act repeals the three versions of President Trump's … Continue Reading
April 09, 2019
At Water Policy Conference, Duckworth Calls Attention to Environmental, Health and Justice Crises
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered remarks at the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies' 2019 Water Policy Conference, detailing the importance of ensuring every American has access to affordable clean water. Duckworth went on to outline her agenda for water policies in the 116th Congress, stressing the need to view access to clean water as not just an environmental or health priority, but as a matter of justice, fairness and equality, too. "Every … Continue Reading
April 09, 2019
Duckworth, Senators Ask Pentagon if Trump’s Border Deployment Threatens Military Readiness
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with fellow Senate Armed Services Committee members Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), expressed concern this week that the Trump Administration's wasteful deployment of thousands of U.S. troops to the southern border is harming military readiness. In a letter, the Senators asked Acting Defense Secretary Patrick … Continue Reading
April 09, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Help Re-Introduce Bill Allowing Workers to Receive Paid Sick Days
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 30 of their Senate colleagues in re-introducing the Healthy Families Act, which would ensure workers are able to earn paid sick leave so they can stay home when they are ill, care for a sick family member, obtain preventive medical care or seek assistance related to domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault. "No one should have to choose between caring for a sick child … Continue Reading
April 09, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $6 Million in Grants to Central Illinois Head Start Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $6,387,010 in federal funding to help children from low-income families in Central Illinois access Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The Embarras River Basin Agency, Inc., will receive $3,742,811 for its Cumberland County Head Start programs and Champaign County will receive $2,644,199 to expand its Early Head Start programs. These programs focus on education, nutrition, socio-emotional … Continue Reading
April 05, 2019
Duckworth Hosts College Affordability and Accessibility Roundtable with Northeastern Illinois Community Colleges
[ELGIN, IL] - With the Senate expected to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) later this year, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) hosted more than a dozen Northeastern Illinois community college leaders at Elgin Community College (ECC) today in a roundtable discussion about their federal priorities and her work to make higher education more accessible. During the roundtable, Duckworth highlighted two pieces of legislation she wrote, the Community College to Career (CC2C) Fund Act and … Continue Reading
April 05, 2019
Duckworth Hosts Roundtable with First Responders on Survivor Benefits
[ST. CHARLES, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with first responders from Kane, DuPage and McHenry counties to discuss the importance of expanding survivor benefits for those injured or killed in the line of duty and their families. Duckworth was joined by McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, Kane County Undersheriff Pat Gengler and Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police representative Steven Stelter, Westchester Chief of Police. Since … Continue Reading
April 05, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $6.5 Million for Rockford Head Start Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $6,541,926 in federal funding to help children from low-income families to access Head Start and Early Head Start programs through the City of Rockford. This funding comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) that allocates funding, technical assistance, strategic partnerships and more in order to help … Continue Reading
April 04, 2019
Newly Declassified Report Documents TSA's Failure to Address Security Risks
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairman Representative Elijah E. Cummings in releasing a newly declassified report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) that examined covert testing used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to identify aviation security vulnerabilities. Duckworth issued the following statement on the report: "Every day, millions of Americans rely on TSA to … Continue Reading
April 04, 2019
One Year After Trump Administration Deported Illinois Veteran, Duckworth Re-introduces Comprehensive Bill Package to Protect Veterans and Servicemembers from Unfair Treatment
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - One year after the deportation of Afghanistan War Veteran Miguel Perez, Jr., combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today re-introduced several bills to protect and support Veterans and servicemembers-men and women who have proven they are willing lay down their lives defending America. Duckworth's proposals-the Veterans Visa and Protection Act, HOPE Act and I-VETS Act- are co-sponsored by several of her House and Senate colleagues and would prohibit the … Continue Reading
April 04, 2019
Duckworth Announces Legislation to Help Small Businesses Get Financing They Need to Succeed
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced the introduction of new legislation to help small business owners secure the financing they need to grow their businesses and create good-paying jobs in their communities. Speaking at a Senate Small Business Committee hearing, Duckworth touted The Microloan Program Expansion Act of 2019, which would improve the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Microloan Program to help more small businesses - particularly women, Veterans, … Continue Reading
April 04, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth Join Senate Democratic Caucus to Save Health Care for Millions of Americans and Those with Pre-Existing Conditions
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined all 47 Senate Democrats to introduce a Senate resolution-led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)-that would reverse the Department of Justice's (DOJ) recent decision to side with U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor's ruling that deems health care protections enjoyed by hundreds of millions unconstitutional. This latest act of health care sabotage from the Trump Administration could result in 133 … Continue Reading
April 03, 2019
Duckworth Highlights Need for Oversight of Army Modernization Efforts
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland Hearing, U.S. Senator and former Army logistics officer and Blackhawk pilot Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) pressed U.S. Army leaders on their efforts to avoid repeating past mistakes with current Army modernization efforts, like the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) plan. Video of Duckworth's questions at the hearing is available here. "One of my priorities is making sure we learn the sometimes hard lessons from past acquisition … Continue Reading
April 03, 2019
Duckworth Joins Reed, Coons, Larson & Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Expand and Promote Opportunities for National Service
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-CT-01) and Joe Kennedy III (D-MA-04) in introducing legislation to help young Americans strengthen their communities and our nation through service while reducing their student debt burden. The America's Call To Improve Opportunities Now (ACTION) for National Service Act, which builds on Senator Duckworth's 21st Century American Service Act, … Continue Reading
April 02, 2019
Duckworth Now Accepting Applications for Class of 2024 Service Academy Nominations
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that her office is now accepting applications from high school students seeking a Congressional nomination to a United States Military Service Academy through her website. Each year Duckworth, along with a nomination committee, select from the applicants a group of outstanding Illinois students to receive Congressional nominations to attend West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy or the … Continue Reading
April 02, 2019
Duckworth Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Assist Law Enforcement in Investigating Fentanyl, Protecting Officers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with 10 of their colleagues, last week in introducing bipartisan legislation to help provide state and local law enforcement with high-tech devices to detect and identify dangerous drugs like fentanyl. The Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act would establish a new grant program through the U.S. Department of Justice to help state and local law enforcement organizations secure … Continue Reading
April 02, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Ask DHS to Recognize Security Risks of Ethylene Oxide
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Following a number of fires and explosions at facilities that produce ethylene oxide (EtO), U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today to revise its characterization of EtO as part of its "Chemicals of Interest" list, which is required under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard. The list characterizes EtO as a flammable chemical and should also recognize its explosive quality. However, DHS does … Continue Reading
