Press Releases
Duckworth Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Dramatically Expand National Service in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and 11 of her Senate colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation to expand national service programs significantly to help the country respond to and recover from the public health, economic and social crises facing the nation in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Cultivating Opportunity and Response to the Pandemic through Service (CORPS) Act would double the … Continue Reading
June 16, 2020
Duckworth Announces Class of 2024 Service Academy Appointments
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the appointments of 14 Illinois students she nominated to attend a United States Military Service Academy. Each year Duckworth, along with a nomination committee, selects from hundreds of Illinois high school applicants a group of outstanding students to receive Congressional nominations to attend West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy or the Merchant Marine Academy. "It takes a special … Continue Reading
June 15, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Booker, Lee to Re-Introduce Bicameral Bill to Remove Confederate Statues from Capitol
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) to re-introduce a bicameral bill in the Senate and House to remove Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol. The Confederate Monument Removal Act would remove all statues of people who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from … Continue Reading
June 15, 2020
Duckworth Applauds Supreme Court Decision that Protects LGBTQ Employees
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that LGBTQ workers are protected by the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits sex discrimination in employment: "No one should ever face discrimination because of who they are or who they love. By ruling that LGBTQ+ Americans have equal protections in the workplace and cannot be discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, … Continue Reading
June 15, 2020
Duckworth and Durbin Join Peters, McSally, Colleagues in Bipartisan Push to Increase Funding for Programs Protecting Pets & Survivors of Domestic Violence in Next COVID-19 Relief Bill
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Martha McSally (R-AZ) and 28 of their Senate colleagues in calling for increased funding for programs that support domestic violence survivors and their pets that were established under the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act. In their bipartisan letter to Senate leaders and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Appropriations, the Senators highlighted how reports of … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues in Calling on Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Carranza to Streamline and Simplify Process for Small Businesses Applying for PPP Loan Forgiveness
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza calling for urgently needed improvements to streamline and simplify the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application process to ensure the smallest and most underserved businesses are able to fully take advantage of the program. … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Duckworth and Booker Announce Bipartisan Resolution to Mark Women Veterans Appreciation Day
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Cory Booker to announce the introduction of a bipartisan, bicameral resolution in Congress celebrating June 12 as Women Veterans Appreciation Day, recognizing the distinguished service of women in the Active Duty, Guard and Reserve Forces. June 12 marks the anniversary of the signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, which allowed women to serve as permanent, regular members of … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues In Pressing For Expanded Access To Affordable Health Care In Any Upcoming COVID-19 Relief Bill
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Doug Jones (D-AL), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in leading 33 of their Senate colleagues in urging House and Senate leaders to ensure that any upcoming COVID-19 relief bill includes strong provisions to expand access to quality and affordable health care coverage in the wake of this public health crisis. In their letter, the Senators called for a bipartisan effort to ensure that … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Duckworth Joins Schumer, Warren, Reed, Colleagues to Call On President Trump To Support Bipartisan Proposal In Annual Defense Bill To Rename All Bases & Other Military Assets Named For The Confederacy And Anyone Who Served In The Confederacy
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and SASC Ranking Member Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in urging President Donald Trump to support the bipartisan SASC-adopted proposal to the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments and paraphernalia … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Klobuchar, Brown and Colleagues in Urging Department of Agriculture to Minimize Food Deserts and Support Programs to Help Americans Access Healthy, Affordable Food
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and 18 colleagues in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to express concerns about how a lack of access to healthy, affordable food is hurting low-income communities and communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic. To help address the disproportionate impact of this public health crisis on these communities, the Senators are urging … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $5 Million for Water Infrastructure Improvements in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $5,346,300 in federal funding to municipalities and utility cooperatives across Illinois to address health and sanitation concerns, as well as support much-needed improvements to water systems. This funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Rural Development. "Investments like these are critical in helping rural communities in Illinois modernize their infrastructure … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $1 Million for Education Support in the Chicagoland Area
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $984,367 in federal funding to two Chicagoland school districts to improve educational outcomes for students by supporting the coordination of academic, social and health services between public schools, school districts and community organizations. Under this announcement, the City of Chicago Board of Education will receive $499,760 and Skokie School District 69 will receive $484,607. This funding … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Join Klobuchar, Smith and Colleagues to Reiterate Call for DOJ Investigation into Racially Discriminatory and Violent Policing at Minneapolis Police Department
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), along with 21 colleagues, to follow up on their previous letter from May 29 to Attorney General Barr requesting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) open an investigation into patterns and practices of racially discriminatory and violent policing in the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). In today's letter, the Senators asked for an explanation from Barr … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Duckworth Provisions to Support Servicemembers and Enhance Military Modernization Efforts Included in Committee-Passed 2021 Defense Bill
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a Purple Heart recipient and one of the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, highlighted several key priorities she authored and successfully included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) on a bipartisan vote of 25-2 this week. The NDAA, which is now set to be considered by the full U.S. … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Duckworth, Senators Call on Administration to Help Servicemembers and Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Receive Proper Care During Coronavirus Pandemic
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), sent a bipartisan letter to the Departments of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) urging the Administration to take immediate action to help ensure servicemembers and Veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances receive the care they need during the coronavirus pandemic. The letter requests … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Duckworth: “Despicable” for Trump to Threaten Troops’ Pay to Honor Confederate Traitors’ “Legacies”
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after Donald Trump tweeted a refusal to consider renaming U.S. military bases currently named after confederate leaders who took up arms against America to defend their ability to own, sell and kill Black Americans. The Senator’s response also comes shortly after the Trump White House threatened to veto a pay increase for our troops over this issue, despite Army Secretary Ryan … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin to Senate Leaders: Protect Health, Safety And Financial Security of Illinois's Essential Workers in Next COVID-19 Relief Bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to include additional support for the essential workers in Illinois and across the country to effectively protect the health, safety, and financial security of workers in the short term, and ensure that they are in the strongest position possible as the economy recovers. In a letter to the Senate leaders, … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Duckworth Introduces Bill to Preserve Integrity of Arlington National Cemetery
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today introduced legislation to prohibit a President or Vice President who never served in the U.S. Armed Forces from being buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The Senator's proposal comes after the U.S. Army recently recommended restricting eligibility for burial at the hallowed ground to fewer Veterans and servicemembers while expanding eligibility to all … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Duckworth Discusses Paycheck Protection Program & Economic Recovery with Illinois Restaurant Association
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday spoke with Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) President and CEO Sam Toia and members of the IRA on updates on recent federal legislation to continue assisting restaurants and small businesses through COVID-19, including the recently-passed Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act. The group also discussed plans for further relief to the restaurant and food service industry. "I had a productive call with the Illinois … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $13 Million for Chicago Area Head Start Programs
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced more than $13 million in federal funding to help children in the Chicago-area access Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This funding comes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that allocates funding, provides technical assistance, and helps build strategic partnerships in order to promote the social and … Continue Reading
