Salutations

 

    Salutations all! This is my first post on my blog about none other than the Democratic Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth. With it being the first post, it only makes sense that the first one gives a little bit of background on who Duckworth really is. From Tammy Duckworth - Biography, Duckworth was born in Bangkok, Thailand on March 12, 1968. Throughout her childhood, Duckworth lived all over the world, in places like Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and Indonesia before her family finally settled down in Hawaii. Once turning 18, she attended the University of Hawaii, where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs. She continued her education at George Washington University in Washington D.C. She got her Master's in the same field. But Duckworth was not finished yet. She then attended Northern Illinois University and received a Ph.D. in Political Science. While at NIU, Duckworth enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard where she trained as a Blackhawk pilot. In 2004, she was sent to fly in Iraq and ended up losing both of her legs and some function in her arm. Despite that, she was in the Reserved Forces for 23 years before she finally retired in 2014, ending her career in the National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel. Duckworth met her husband Brian Bowlsbey while serving in the National Guard and they have two daughters, Abigail and Maile. Throughout her life, she has held many leadership positions. She has earned a Purple Heart. She was the Assistant Secretary of Veterans' Affairs. She is also the head of some subcommittees within the Senate. 

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    While this may be Duckworth's first term as Senator, she is no stranger to the political world. According to senate.gov, Duckworth first started her political career back in 2012 when she campaigned to be a part of the House of Representatives. Then, when her term ended in 2014, she ran for reelection and earned herself another term in the House of Representatives. After completing her second term in the House, she then campaigned to be the Senator of Illinois against the incumbent Mark S. Kirk. Clearly, she won the election and is currently serving her last year of the term. While being in the Senate, Duckworth has been working on many committees. She serves on the Armed Services Committee, where she is the chair of the Airland subcommittee. She is also a part of the Readiness and Management Support and the Strategic Forces subcommittees. She works on the Environment and Public Works Committee and is also the chair of the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife subcommittee. Duckworth also works on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. The first bill that she introduced supports Illinois jobs by preventing federal delays in infrastructure projects. This bill became a law in record time. Some other sponsored legislation that she has been a part of is a bill that amends the Small Business Act and a bill that will require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to help naturalize noncitizen veterans. 

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    When it comes to being a part of the Democratic Party, Duckworth is an ideal member. She has never strayed from the majority of the party and according to the ADA, she is a ¨Senate Hero.¨ By being a ¨Senate Hero,¨ it basically means that she follows Democratic standards. She has always voted the way the ADA, the Americans for Democratic Action, would have voted. From Vote Smart, when it comes to her interest group ratings, she is kind of all over the place. Under Animals and Wildlife, she has a 100% rating from the American Veterinary Medical Association, but only a 17% rating from the Animal Welfare Institute. For National Security, she has a 100% rating from the National Iranian American Council and a 6% rating from the Center for Security Policy. 

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• Duckworth is recognized as one of the top five most effective Democratic Senators
• Duckworth is the first female Senator to give birth while in office. 
• Duckworth was the first disabled woman to hold an office in the House of Representatives. 
• Duckworth was one of the first women to fly combat missions in the Army. 
• Duckworth is multilingual in English, Thai, and Indonesian.