U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth says she is prepared to hold up legislation and slow the Senate appropriations process to pressure the U.S. Air Force into delaying the elimination of 192 positions at Springfield’s 183rd Wing.
Duckworth also contends partisan politics may be behind the decision, saying the Air Force appears to be favoring units in Republican-leaning states over those in Democratic states. The White House did not immediately respond to Duckworth’s assertion.
“I think there’s a big chunk of this that is political,” Duckworth told Illinois Times on Oct. 1. She said she confronted the secretary of the Air Force after he acknowledged that Springfield’s unit is among the nation’s top performers.
“I said, ‘Well, then why did you not choose them? In fact, it seems like you are choosing red states, units that are in red states over blue states,’” Duckworth said. She said the secretary did not have an answer.
The Air Force plans to eliminate the Centralized Repair Facility at the Illinois Air National Guard’s 183rd Wing at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport by April 1, 2027. The move affects 192 positions – 75 full-time jobs and 117 part-time traditional Guard positions.
Duckworth, a Democrat who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said she is prepared to use Senate procedure to force Pentagon officials to negotiate.
“We can certainly gum up the appropriations process,” she said. “I’ve put holds on bills before. I’m not beyond putting holds on bills again.”
Duckworth said she has had “pretty intense conversations with the Pentagon” and wants to pause the deactivation before it becomes irreversible.
“They could certainly move forward, and it seems like they’re trying to make this a fait accompli,” she said. “But we’re not gonna make it easy for them.”
Although Democrats are in the Senate minority, Duckworth can refuse agreements that allow legislation to move quickly. That would not necessarily stop bills from passing but could force Senate leaders to spend days or weeks completing procedural steps normally waived.
“If they’re trying to get things done very quickly, we can simply say, ‘We’re not gonna agree to do that. You’re gonna have to wait things out,’” she said.
Duckworth said such delays have previously brought the majority to the negotiating table. Asked whether she would consider holds on legislation unrelated to the Springfield dispute, she responded, “Absolutely.”
Asked whether that amounted to a threat, Duckworth said: “My colleagues know that I don’t bluff. It’s not a threat. They just know that I don’t bluff.”
Duckworth, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, all Democrats, also are trying to delay the deactivation through the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.
In a Sept. 30 letter to leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, they asked negotiators to add language preventing the Air Force from closing or deactivating a Central Repair Facility until Sept. 30, 2028, unless it assigns a deployable replacement mission.
“I was proud to join Senators Durbin and Duckworth in sending a letter to the Senate and House Armed Services Committee asking for them to include language in the final FY27 National Defense Authorization Act that temporarily halt any plans to deactivate the 183rd Wing’s Central Repair Facility in Springfield, Illinois,” Budzinski said.
Budzinski said the goal is not simply to preserve the existing mission but to ensure another one is ready if the repair operation disappears.
“I am committed to working with my partners in Illinois and Washington to protect the hundreds of servicemen and women who work at the 183rd Wing in Springfield,” she said. “The 183rd plays a critical role in our nation’s national security and any changes must be carefully considered before moving forward.”
The proposal also would require the Air Force to report to Congress on fighter-engine repair needs and the readiness consequences of closing facilities.
Since 2012, the 183rd has maintained engines for the U-2, F-16, A-10 and F-15EX. The lawmakers say Springfield’s operation is the only mission of its kind in the Joint Force and the sole dedicated repair facility for the F-15EX fleet.
Budzinski also supports Illinois National Guard Adjutant General Rodney Boyd’s call for a replacement mission, potentially a second Air Operations Group at the 183rd. Earlier this year, Budzinski, Durbin and Duckworth asked the Air Force and National Guard Bureau to consider establishing such a mission in Springfield.
“While I acknowledge that modernization needs to happen within the Air National Guard, it is critical that it is done in a way that does not hurt the workers and communities that have served our country honorably for so many years,” Budzinski said. “That is what this effort to both delay the disinvestment and get a second Air Operations Group in Springfield is about.”
Duckworth made a similar argument, saying the Air Force should not eliminate Springfield’s existing operation without knowing what will replace it.
“For me it’s about if you’re gonna take away a mission, you need to have a viable replacement mission before you do that,” Duckworth said.
She said the objective is to force negotiations before Springfield loses its existing mission.
“All I’m saying is come to the table, let’s negotiate,” she said. “And Air Force, you need to do better.”
