Press Releases
Duckworth Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by Keynoting APAICS Gala
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) keynoted the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Gala Awards Dinner last night, where she discussed the AAPI community's accomplishments, her experiences with poverty and hunger during her childhood in Southeast Asia, and the importance of diversity and representation to our nation. Duckworth attended the 25th anniversary Gala as a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). Photos … Continue Reading
May 14, 2019
Duckworth Questions Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan Over Potential Deployment of 120,000 Troops to Middle East
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan today over plans he reportedly presented to top White House officials regarding a potential deployment of 120,000 troops to counter Iran in the Middle East. During a meeting in her office, Duckworth expressed concerns with the Trump Administration's approach to Iran and cautioned Shanahan against moving forward with a … Continue Reading
May 14, 2019
Duckworth Meets with Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with more than a dozen members of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago today to discuss increasing funding for the Department of Homeland Security's Nonprofit Security Grant Program and the importance of FEMA's Emergency Food and Shelter Program and the Holocaust Survivors Assistance Fund. Photos from today's meeting are available here. "The recent spate of attacks in synagogues, churches, mosques and … Continue Reading
May 13, 2019
ICYMI: Duckworth Issues Mother’s Day Call to Make Progress on Family-Friendly Legislation
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On Mother's Day, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times reflecting on the birth of her daughter last year and the need to make our nation's workplace policies more family-friendly in order to change "a working culture that lets women fall out of the workforce and lets families fall into poverty." In the op-ed, Duckworth highlighted how the record-breaking 131 women now serving in Congress can bring these changes closer to reality and … Continue Reading
May 13, 2019
Senators Introduce Creig Sharp Funeral Honors for Veterans Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced the Creig Sharp Funeral Honors for Veterans Act, to ensure that all veterans have access to full military funeral honors. Specifically, the legislation requires military installations to develop a plan to utilize both on-base and off-base resources for funeral ceremonies for veterans, even when government resources may not be available. "Our … Continue Reading
May 10, 2019
Ahead of Mother’s Day, Duckworth Highlights Slate of Bills to Help Working Families in Chicago and Across the Nation
[CHICAGO, IL] - Joined by women's advocates and worker's advocates in Chicago just days before Mother's Day, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) highlighted her newly-announced package of family-friendly policy proposals today. Duckworth's new proposals would make workplaces more family-friendly, improve childcare services, make it easier for low-income and middle-class families to obtain diapers for their children and close loopholes that prevent many educational support staff from being able … Continue Reading
May 10, 2019
Duckworth Promotes Environmental Policy Solutions at Annual ELPC Gala
[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke at the Environmental Law and Policy Center Gala this evening, where she discussed the formation of the new Environmental Justice Caucus in the Senate, the threat of climate change to national security and the legislation she's worked on to protect families against environmental harm. Photos from tonight's event are available here. "Every American has a right to breathe in clean air and drink clean water, no matter where they live, the … Continue Reading
May 09, 2019
Ahead of Mother’s Day, Duckworth Introduces Family-Friendly Legislation to Help Working Parents Get Ahead
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a package of bills to make workplaces more family-friendly, improve childcare services, make it easier for low-income and middle-class families to obtain diapers for their children and close loopholes that prevent many educational support staff from being able to take medical leave through the Family Medical Leave Act. The package includes four pieces of legislation: the End Diaper Need Act, the ESP Family Leave Act, the … Continue Reading
May 09, 2019
Duckworth Meets with Mayor-Elect Lightfoot
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) hosted Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot in her Senate office today, where the two discussed how they can work together to advocate for the people of Chicago, address the city's environmental justice issues, ensure every Chicagoan is accurately counted in the upcoming census and help secure infrastructure investments to create jobs, reduce congestion and upgrade the city's roads, railways and bridges. B-Roll of the meeting is available … Continue Reading
May 08, 2019
Duckworth: Mothers Deserve Better than Trump Administration’s Harmful Anti-Family Policies
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - With Mother's Day approaching this Sunday, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor this afternoon calling out the Trump Administration's repeated attempts to advance policies that harm women, mothers and families. Since 2017, the Trump Administration has rolled back essential Title IX sexual assault protections, limited birth control coverage, attempted to defund health clinics that provide prenatal care and mammograms and so much more. … Continue Reading
May 08, 2019
Duckworth Presses Military for Answers on Efforts to Prevent and Prosecute Sexual Assault
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today participated in a U.S. Senate Armed Service Committee (SASC) Personnel Subcommittee roundtable discussion about the Department of Defense's (DoD) recently-released Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military. During the conversation, Duckworth focused on the U.S. Air Force's efforts to address the collateral misconduct policy, where survivors are disciplined for other actions unrelated to an assault, and DoD's decision to not … Continue Reading
May 07, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin & Kelly Demand EPA Protect Southeast Chicago Families from Dangerous Neurotoxin
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use the full extent of its enforcement authority to take immediate action to stop companies on the Southeast Side of Chicago from releasing unsafe levels of a manganese, a known neurotoxin, into the air in violation of state and national air protections. The Members of Congress encouraged the EPA to use civil … Continue Reading
May 06, 2019
Duckworth Calls for Independent Investigation of Effort to Manipulate & Subvert VA Rulemaking Process
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) asked for an independent investigation into potential manipulation of the public comment submission process regarding a proposed rule change that could determine when Veterans may seek healthcare outside the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Duckworth wrote today to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) asking them to initiate an investigation after more … Continue Reading
May 06, 2019
Duckworth Discusses Her First Return to Iraq Since Being Shot Down, Importance of Continued U.S. Engagement in the Region
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed her first visit back to the country where she was grievously wounded in the line of duty as well as her thoughts on our nation's strategy in the region moving forward with CSIS Middle East Program Director Dr. John Alterman. Duckworth's remarks focused on the persistent threat posed by ISIS, the valuable role the U.S. can play in Iraq's … Continue Reading
May 06, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $230,000 for AmeriCorps VISTA Projects in Illinois
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $235,563 in federal funding to Illinois organizations participating in AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) programs. This funding comes through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). "AmeriCorps national service programs bring together people from all walks of life to address pressing challenges in local communities and strengthen our nation," Duckworth said. … Continue Reading
May 04, 2019
Duckworth and Underwood Host Town Hall in Gurnee
[GURNEE, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) hosted a town hall meeting today at River Trail School in Gurnee to meet with constituents, answer questions and discuss their work serving Illinois families in Congress. Duckworth and Underwood highlighted their top priorities for the 116th Congress, including improving infrastructure in Illinois, increasing tax credits for working families and protecting Medicare. They answered questions from … Continue Reading
May 03, 2019
Duckworth, Durbin, Schneider, Foster, Lipinski, Casten & Underwood Ask ATSDR to Conduct Air Monitoring for Ethylene Oxide in Lake County
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Dan Lipinski (D-IL-3), Sean Casten (D-IL-6) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), wrote to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) this week requesting the agency immediately begin air quality monitoring at two facilities in Lake County, Illinois, to determine whether ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions exceed safe levels. The … Continue Reading
May 02, 2019
Duckworth Advocates for Compensation for Illinois Communities with Nuclear Waste During Senate Hearing
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed the struggles many Illinois communities face with stranded nuclear waste at today's U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) hearing on the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2019. Duckworth questioned Geoff Fettus from the Natural Resources Defense Council's Nuclear, Climate and Clean Energy Program today on the importance of developing a grant program to compensate communities like Zion, Illinois, who … Continue Reading
May 01, 2019
Durbin, Duckworth, Senators Introduce Choose Medicare Act To Make Medicare Available To Everyone
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), today introduced the Choose Medicare Act to give every individual who is not already eligible for Medicaid or Medicare the opportunity to enroll in Medicare. The Choose Medicare Act also gives every employer the ability to purchase Medicare for their employees. "All Americans deserve high-quality health coverage, and this … Continue Reading
April 30, 2019
Duckworth Helps Reintroduce RECLAIM Act to Invest in Coal Communities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today, along with Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More (RECLAIM) Act of 2019 to provide opportunities for coal reclamation and economic development in communities impacted by the downturn in the coal industry. "This legislation will help communities in … Continue Reading
