[120] Duckworth credits Dole for inspiring her to pursue public service, while she recuperated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; although, in 2006, Dole endorsed Duckworth's Republican opponent, Peter Roskam. Duckworth voted against Senator Bernie Sanders's amendment to reduce the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. [73], GovTrack's Report Card on Duckworth for the 115th Congress found that among Senate freshmen, she ranked first in favorably reporting bills out of committee and "Got influential cosponsors the most often compared to Senate freshmen. [62], On April 3, 2013, Duckworth publicly returned 8.4% ($1,218) of her congressional salary for that month to the United States Department of Treasury in solidarity with furloughed government workers. [92] At the 2020 convention she called President Trump "coward-in-chief" for not supporting the American military.[93][94]. [66] Duckworth defeated fellow Democrats Andrea Zopp and Napoleon Harris in the primary election on March 15, 2016. How long has Tammy Duckworth been a member of the US Senate? She supports universal background checks and the halting of state-to-state gun trafficking. Under long standing US law, she is a natural-born citizen because her father was American. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented Illinois's 8th district in the United States House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017. [128], CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2006 Illinois's 6th congressional district election, 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois § District 8, 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois § District 8, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements, Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs, Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets, United States House Select Committee on Benghazi, 2016 United States Senate election in Illinois, Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security, Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security, Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife, Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, United States Secretary of Homeland Security, List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress, List of United States Senators born outside the United States, Women in the United States House of Representatives, "ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์ให้แก่ชาวต่างประเทศ (พันตรีหญิง ลัดดา แทมมี ดั๊กเวิร์ด)", https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.70507/, "Unseen: Trailblazing Military Women Forced To Fight For Recognition, Equal Treatment", "Tammy Duckworth Takes Back Obama's Illinois Senate Seat For Democrats", "Tammy Duckworth Is Auditioning to Be Biden's Running Mate", "Qualifications for President and the "Natural Born" Citizenship Eligibility Requirement", "Downed pilot finally hears uplifting words she awaited", "Pilot flew Black Hawks to serve her country – and please her father", "Yes, Tammy Duckworth's Family Has Served in the Military for Centuries", "Nobody Puts Tammy Duckworth in a Corner", "US Senator is a woman who speaks Thai – Tammy Duckworth visits Thailand to foster American ties", "Duckworth reaches pinnacle of Senate nearly 12 years to day after Iraq crash", "Mau Sekolah Gratis di JIS? While working on a doctorate at Northern Illinois University, she was called to active duty and sent to Iraq in 2004. [117] [118] In 2011, Chicago's Access Living honored Duckworth for her work on behalf of veterans with disabilities, bestowing her with the Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award. "[55], On November 6, 2012, Duckworth defeated Walsh 55%–45%,[56] making her the first Asian-American from Illinois in Congress,[57] the first woman with a disability elected to Congress,[58] and the first member of Congress born in Thailand. [17] She began a PhD program at Northern Illinois University, which was interrupted by her war service. Meet extraordinary women who dared to bring gender equality and other issues to the forefront. [40][41], Also in 2009, the Illinois Auditor General released an audit of the Veterans Affairs department. She also stated that she believed moderate Republicans, who support common sense gun control, would have more power to influence gun control if they were not "pushed aside by those folks who are absolutely beholden to the NRA. [119], Duckworth is heavily decorated for her service in Iraq, with over 10 distinct military honors. I'm excited to see his proven leadership continue to benefit Illinoisans in this new role. "[68][69], Duckworth was endorsed by Barack Obama, who actively campaigned for her. [100], Duckworth supports continued U.S. military aid to Israel and opposes the movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. [95] Fellow U.S. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Democratic senator and Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, who was awarded the Purple Heart medal after losing her legs during combat operations in 2004 as a helicopter pilot, has been … [44] and the United States Senate confirmed her for the position on April 22. [20][21] She became a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve in 1992 and chose to fly helicopters[19] because it was one of the few combat jobs open to women at that time. Senator To Give Birth While In Office", "Duckworth proposes rule allowing babies on Senate floor", "Babies now allowed on Senate floor after rule change", "A duckling onesie and a blazer: The Senate floor sees its first baby, but many traditions stand", "White House taps members of Congress to advise on reopening economy", "Democratic US Senator opposes Amy Coney Barrett confirmation over IVF", "Who Are Contenders for Biden's Cabinet? [34], In 2009, two Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs employees at the Anna Veterans' Home in Union County filed a lawsuit against Duckworth. She acknowledged the mistake and repaid the state for the use of the van. [83] The day after the rules were changed, Duckworth's daughter became the first baby on the Senate floor. The current junior United States Senator, Tammy Duckworth, has an estimated net worth of $500,000 as of 2020. [60] Duckworth defeated Kaifesh with 56% of the vote. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Her father was unemployed for a time, and the family relied on public assistance. And so we never get the vote. Senator Mark Kirk for his seat in the 2016 Senate election in Illinois. But equal access has long been a core issue for Senator Duckworth. In 2016 she ran against Republican incumbent Mark Kirk for a seat in the Senate. [11] Her father worked with the United Nations and international companies in refugee, housing, and development programs,[12] and the family moved around Southeast Asia. [104] Duckworth, who is a gun owner herself, cites violence in Chicago as a major influence for her support of gun control. She previously was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (2013–17). [82] This was a symbolic moment for Duckworth, as she had previously introduced the bipartisan Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act to ensure new mothers have access to safe, clean and accessible lactation rooms when traveling through airports. 620", "PVA announces Senator Duckworth as recipient of 2019 Gordon Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award", "Duckworth slams Trump: I won't be lectured on military needs by a 'five-deferment draft dodger, "Tammy Duckworth Becomes First U.S. [38] The plaintiffs later indicated they no longer wanted to settle, but the judge gave them 21 days to sign the settlement and canceled the trial. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. [3] The explosion severely broke her right arm and tore tissue from it, necessitating major surgery to repair it. In 2014 she retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel. [127], In August 2020, Duckworth told NPR in an interview that she is homeschooling her children due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Duckworth is the second of three Asian American women to serve in the U.S. Senate, after Mazie Hirono, and before Kamala Harris. [52] Duckworth received the endorsement of both the Chicago Tribune and the Daily Herald. [121], Duckworth is married to Bryan Bowlsbey. Duckworth, along with her husband Bryan, are the parents of two daughters, Abigail and Maile. Duckworth ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 2006, then served as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and as Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs from 2009 to 2011. [105], Duckworth participated in the 2016 Chris Murphy gun control filibuster. She's making history! Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Sadly, this is something that the current occupant of the Oval Office does not seem to care to do—and I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft dodger. The next election for this seat of Senator in the State […] [23] She lost her right leg near the hip and her left leg below the knee[26] from injuries sustained on November 12, 2004, when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. [82][84], On April 15, 2020, the Trump administration invited Duckworth to join a bipartisan task force on the reopening of the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Kamala Harris was instead selected. Begini Caranya", "Girl Scouts Welcomes All Alums Who Have Earned Its Highest Award into the Gold Award Girl Scout Family", "U.S. Army National Guard Maj. Tammy Duckworth: Illinois Guard officer faces adversity with courage, concern for troops", "University Honors Alumna Rep. Tammy Duckworth", "Local female veterans take sides on women in combat", "For veteran Tammy Duckworth, latest fight is for a House seat", "Illinois lieutenant governor honors Rotary Centennial and RI employee", "The pedals were gone, and so were my legs", "Hawaii school honoring Iraq war vet grad", "Mount Vernon Statue Honors Women Vets, Maj. Tammy Duckworth", "Director L. Tammy Duckworth: Committed to Serving Country and Community", "Official admits error using state van; Tammy Duckworth took time off from job as state Veterans Affairs director to attend a campaign event but ran into controversy", "Employee lawsuit pops up in Walsh-Duckworth race", "Morning Spin: Judge sets May date in Duckworth 'retaliation' lawsuit", "Workplace lawsuit against Tammy Duckworth settled", "Judge allows workplace case against Tammy Duckworth to go to trial", "Duckworth lawsuit not going to trial Monday", "Duckworth used vets' post to build political career: Ex-deputy", "Tea Party questions audit of VA under Duckworth", "Duckworth Tapped for VA Assistant Secretary", "Senate Confirms Duckworth's Federal Nomination", "About Tammy | U.S. In 2012, Duckworth was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served two terms. For today’s program our guest is Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 after representing Illinois’s Eighth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms. The couple has two daughters: Abigail, who was born in 2014,[122] and Maile, born in 2018. The comment led to the Human Rights Campaign withdrawing their endorsement of Kirk and switching it to Duckworth, stating his comments were "deeply offensive and racist. ×. [48] Duckworth was also endorsed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Fraternal Order of Police. Duckworth was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, defeating Republican incumbent Mark Kirk. [105], In a 2016 interview with GQ magazine, Duckworth stated that gaining control of the Senate and "closing the gap" in the House would be necessary in order to pass common sense gun laws. She would admit 100,000 Syrian refugees into the United States. [45] As Assistant Secretary, she coordinated a joint initiative with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help end Veteran homelessness, worked to address the unique challenges faced by female as well as Native American Veterans and created the Office of Online Communications to improve the VA's accessibility, especially among young Veterans. Senator to give birth while in office. [63], On June 26, 2013, during a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Duckworth received national media attention after questioning Strong Castle CEO Braulio Castillo on a $500 million government contract the company had been awarded based on Castillo's disabled veteran status. Senator to Give Birth While in Office", "Duckworth, Pitcher honored along with all women veterans in Mt. She graduated (1989) from the University of Hawaii, then took a master’s degree (1992) in international affairs at George Washington University, where she joined the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). It opened her eyes to the issues surrounding both motherhood and being a working mother. Duckworth has been to Thailand four times since 2013, lastly in 2019 when she was invited by Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy -- the Thai equivalent of West Point in the U.S. Here are five interesting facts about Tammy Duckworth including her … Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014. , according to its critics, would have weakened the Americans with Disabilities Act use of the U.S. Department Veterans... 122 ] and led 42 senators in pledging to oppose any effort to pass legislation! 2017, Duckworth was named a candidate for Secretary of the vote Republican Pres [ ]! 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