Tammy Duckworth

Born:March 12, 1968 (age 56)
Career:U.S. Senate, 2017-present
U.S. House of Representatives, 2013-2017
State:Illinois
Party:Democratic
Education:B.A., University of Hawaii
M.A., George Washington University

Tammy Duckworth assumed office in the U.S. Senate for the state of Illinois in January 2017. She is the first female military veteran elected to the Senate as a Democrat, joining Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA). In 2018, Duckworth became the first Senator to give birth while serving in office. Prior to being elected senator, Duckworth served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Illinois' 8th District from 2013 to 2017. She was the first woman with a disability elected to Congress and the first member of Congress born in Thailand.

Duckworth was born in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 12, 1968, to an American father and a Thai mother of Chinese descent. She received her B.A. from the University of Hawaii in 1989 and received a Master of Arts in international affairs from George Washington University in 1992.

As a captain in the National Guard, Duckworth was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom and deployed in 2004. As a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, she was one of the first women to fly combat missions in Iraq until November 12, 2004, when her helicopter was hit by an RPG. Duckworth lost both legs and part of the use of her right arm in the explosion, and was awarded the Purple Heart for her combat injuries. Duckworth continued to serve as a major in the National Guard and became director of Illinois' Department of Veterans' Affairs. In 2009, she was selected by President Obama to be assistant secretary of veterans.

For information on Duckworth's policy subject areas, committee appointments and sponsored/co-sponsored legislation in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, please visit her profile on https://www.congress.gov.

Sources:

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (n.d.) Duckworth, Tammy (1968-). Retrieved on May 1, 2020, from https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=D000622.

Duckworth, T. (n.d.) About Tammy. Retrieved on May 1, 2020, from https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/about-tammy/biography.

McNamee, G. L. (n.d.). Tammy Duckworth: United States Senator. In Britannica. Retrieved on May 1, 2020 from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tammy-Duckworth.

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