Senator Tammy Duckworth

Tammy Duckworth is an American politician and veteran who has served as the senior United States Senator for Illinois since 2017. She previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. Duckworth was born in Lockport, Illinois, and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois College of Law. She served in the Illinois Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq in 2003, where she was severely injured in a helicopter crash. Duckworth was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal for her service. She was elected to Congress in 2006 and served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Duckworth was elected to the Senate in 2016 and took office on January 3, 2017. She is a strong advocate for veterans' rights and has introduced several bills to improve the care and services provided to veterans.