Senator. Veteran. Trailblazer.
Who is Tammy Duckworth?
Tammy Duckworth, the Junior Senator from Illinois, is not afraid of change. As a teen, Duckworth's family emigrated from Thailand to Hawaii. She lived there through college, where she attended the University of Hawaii. She went on to earn her Master's degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University and in 2015, she completed her PhD in Human Services at Capella University.
Senator Duckworth faces her challenges head-on and demonstrates her willingness to fight for her beliefs. Tammy Duckworth is:
- The first Thai-American woman to be elected to Congress
- The first woman with a disability to be elected to Congress
- The first female double amputee to be in the Senate
- The first Senator to have a child while serving as a Senator
Suffice it to say, Senator Duckworth is the real deal.
Senator Duckworth and her daughters, Maile and Abigail;
Picture from Vogue
Serving Her Country
In her mid-twenties, Tammy Duckworth joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps with the Illinois Army National Guard. She continued her service into her thirties and in 2004, she was deployed to Iraq. She flew as a Blackhawk pilot in Operation Iraqi Freedom. During one of her missions, she was hit by an RPG, resulting in the loss of both her legs and the use of her right arm. For her service, she was made a Major and awarded a Purple Heart.
Her service and battle wounds propelled her into the arena of activism. She quickly became a strong voice in regards to human services. And after her recovery, she made it a goal create a better platform for and elevate the importance of veterans' affairs.
Entering the Battlefield
In 2006, Tammy Duckworth lost the election for an Illinois Congressional seat. She instead went on to serve at the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs. After working there for three years, President Obama appointed her to the position of Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs. "At VA, Duckworth coordinated the joint initiative with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to end Veteran homelessness. She also created the Office of Online Communications to improve the VA's accessibility..."
In 2012, Duckworth ran for Congress again and won, making her the first ever woman with a disability elected to Congress. She served as the Representative for the 8th Congressional District of Illinois from 2013 to 2017. During her service, she strengthened her platform and put forth legislation regarding women's rights, veterans' rights, and accessibility. In 2016, she beat out incumbent, Mark Kirk, making her the Junior Senator of Illinois.
As a Senator, she has taken a firm stance on disability rights. In early 2018, she spoke out against House Resolution 620, which sought to remove certain protections guaranteed in the Americans with Disabilities Act. She stated that passing this legislation would, "send a disgraceful message to Americans with disabilities: their civil rights are not worthy of strong enforcement and they can, once again, be treated like second class citizens." In December of 2018, she introduced legislation to increase accessibility at fitness centers. The goal of the Exercise and Fitness for All Act is to "ensure people with disabilities have the same opportunity to use fitness facilities as their able-bodied peers, and it would allow small businesses to use the Disabled Access Tax Credit to help cover the purchase of accessible exercise equipment." Her dedication to providing a voice for all has dubbed her a trailblazer.
Be More Like Senator Duckworth!
DSP Appreciation Week is just a few weeks away! September 8 - September 14 is your chance to convey how much you value the DSPs in your life.
When talking about her accident, Senator Tammy Duckworth said, "That day, and so many others when I served, illustrated the two most important lessons the military taught me. Never leave anyone behind - not on the battlefield and not in our country."
So, you should...
- Review the 2019 DSP Appreciation Week Toolkit - contribute to our recognition video or request a city proclamation
- Join the Facebook event for DSP Week
- Share your stories and events with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Remember to tag them with #DSPRW2019 and #SeeOurDSPs
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