Tammy Duckworth Quotes

“I love the Army with every bone in my body.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I had been pursuing a Ph.D. in political science when my National Guard unit was sent to Iraq. Eight months into our deployment, in November 2004, a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents tore through the pilot’s side of the Blackhawk helicopter I was flying.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Sometimes it takes dealing with a disability – the trauma, the relearning, the months of rehabilitation therapy – to uncover our true abilities and how we can put them to work for us in ways we may have never imagined.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Nobody wants to be on food stamps, but when my family lost everything, we were grateful for it. I was grateful the program was there so I could concentrate on my schoolwork and not on my empty belly. We were grateful that we had the support we needed to roll up our sleeves and rebuild our lives.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The military is a place of discipline, technical proficiency, and personal sacrifice for the greater good.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The American Dream I believe in is one that provides anyone willing to work hard enough with the opportunity to succeed.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I know from personal experience that engaging with your community and helping others helps foster a sense of shared sacrifice and – at a time when our politics seem more focused on tearing us apart than bringing us together – that shared sacrifice will help us rekindle the national unity that has made us the strongest nation in the world.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The contributions of African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrants throughout our nation’s history are undeniable, but the tendency to overlook their gallant efforts is pervasive and persistent.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“At my core, I know that the American Dream is about the opportunity to work hard to make your future.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“It’s really hard to use a laptop when you only have half a lap.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I actually lost both my legs. I can walk because I got really good health care.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“We must recognize and keep in the public consciousness the significant contributions and sacrifices Americans of every community have made that have helped forge the greatest country our world has ever known.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I am just one of the overwhelming majority of Americans who is responsible and hard-working and at one point in their life benefited greatly from government programs such as student loans, Medicare, and Social Security.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I said three things when I woke up in Walter Reed. ‘I love you.’ ‘Put me to work,’ and ‘You stink! Go shower!’”

― Tammy Duckworth

“As I recovered at Walter Reed, I worried about the soldiers who pulled me out of my helicopter that Friday afternoon. Would they make it back okay? And what about all the other soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who were also putting their lives on the line every day?”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The ADA is the living testament to our Nation’s commitment that we will always stand up for our neighbors’ right to live fulfilling lives.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Our soldiers show every single day that they are more than good enough.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I shouldn’t even be here, so if I’m here, I better do something good.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“When I joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 1992, there were no female four-star generals. I still remember the day in 2008 when a woman first achieved that rank.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“As Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a constant concern for me is having our veterans dragged into partisan politics.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“If I still had my legs, I would be in line for a battalion command, and instead, I’m flying a desk.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“You fly. You aviate. You do everything you can to get the aircraft safely on the ground.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“We owe it to all our veterans to make sure they have a chance to achieve the American Dream, just like the rest of us.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The power of the ADA is that it ended up changing my life long before I ever imagined it would.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The ADA allows persons with disabilities the opportunity to participate in the world around them.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Those who put their lives on the line overseas are undoubtedly American heroes, but it’s time for us to remember that those who serve in civilian life also embody the American spirit and are worthy of our praise as well.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“As an assistant operations officer for a helicopter task force in Iraq, I saw my fellow Guardsmen and soldiers risk life and limb to maintain diesel fuel supply lines.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The ADA is essential in helping me overcome the obstacles I face as a Wounded Warrior and empowers me to assist other veterans. It allows me to be physically active, have my pilot’s license, and serve in Congress.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I spent a lot of time between bars like this.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“My arm bones looked like chicken bones.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“My experience in Iraq made me realize, and during the recovery, that I could have died. And I just had to do more with my life.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“My therapist would be so happy to know I’m doing all this walking. They’ve done a great job of putting me back together, haven’t they?”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I don’t know why I survived Iraq and I don’t know why I made it home, but I do know that this is my second chance at life and I can do whatever I want now.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“My strength is in finding ways to make the government work for the people: finding waste, or money that is not being properly used… or finding opportunities that are out there and making them work for the community.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I absolutely welcome a full investigation into the for-profit schools because I think a majority of them are predatory.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I do not have PTSD, but if I watch part of a movie like ‘The Hurt Locker,’ or when I spend time around Blackhawk helicopters, I will close my eyes that night and live an entire day in Iraq, flying my missions. I remember the smell and the feel and the heat and everything about it. Then I wake up in Illinois, and I’m exhausted.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Men view life to be as precious as women do, and to say that men have a more violent nature is insulting to men.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Running for Senate is a very involved process.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I feel like moderate Republicans, who would support sensible gun violence legislation, are pushed aside by those folks who are absolutely beholden to the NRA.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I actually shoot. I enjoy target practice. I find it really zen. You focus on nothing but the target. You have to control your breathing. It’s all part of my years in the military, where I was taught to become a marksman but also to respect my weapon.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The bottom line is, when you’re in the Senate, you have more of a voice in the beginning than a new House member.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Female service members are so integrated into the military, so critical and vital to all functions of the military, from combat service support to combat support, to direct combat, that we could not go to war as a nation – we could not defend America – without our women.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I don’t ever want to be sad about my life.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“One of the good things about losing your feet is I can wear all the pointy shoes I want, and it doesn’t hurt anymore. I can wear shoes just for fashion now.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I always wanted to be an ambassador.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I was in Congress for six months, and they put me on blood pressure medication. I flew helicopters in combat and I was fine, and I survived 13 months in recovery in the hospital… I got to Congress, and six months later I’m on blood pressure medication. Fourteen months later, they doubled the dosage!”

― Tammy Duckworth

“If you come from a military culture, and you go into see the general or the commander, and he talks to you very calmly and says, ‘I’m very disappointed in you,’ that’s devastating.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I’d do anything to help veterans.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“When you’re a member of Congress, you can become an expert in a couple of subjects. For example, I’ve worked on federal procurement reform, the Armed Services Committee, manufacturing, and women’s health care.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“In the Senate, you can become one of the nation’s leading voices on the issues.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“How can you have an educated workforce, how do you equal the economic disparities in this country, if you can’t make college more affordable for those who are struggling to make it?”

― Tammy Duckworth

“When I first ran, being a woman in politics was seen as both a negative and also a positive. You could attract more women voters, but on the other hand, a lot of men wouldn’t vote for you.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I think back to the 1990s, when I joined the Army, and all those peacetime years that we had, thinking, ‘Will we ever go into combat?’”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I had 12 years in the Army before I ever faced combat.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“When I got to Iraq, my world focused in on one mission. It was incredibly rewarding.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I’m going to find solutions wherever I can. I think it’s all a priority. You can’t just say, ‘OK, I’m going to work on this but not that.’ You have to work on all of it.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Veterans are my life’s work. From the day my buddies saved my life in Iraq, I’ve woken up every single day dedicated to taking care of veterans and doing my best for veterans.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I admire Governor Blagojevich’s unbending commitment to giving every person in Illinois access to health care.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Barack Obama will never ignore our troops.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I remember my mother taking me as a very little kid to the roof of our home in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to look at the bombs exploding in the distance. She didn’t want us to be scared by the booms and the strange flashes of light. It was her way of helping us to understand what was happening.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The summer before I started college, my parents walked everywhere instead of taking the bus. Once a week, they would hand over $10 to the university housing office, a deposit so I could move into the dorms in the fall.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I did not know I was a Midwesterner until I got there. I just fell in love with the people.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I was born in Bangkok in 1968 and grew up in Southeast Asia with my Thai mom and my American father, who first came to the region to fight in Vietnam and stayed to work assisting refugees.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“My first direct encounter with the military was when I joined ROTC as a graduate student, although my father, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, can trace the military service in our family all the way back to the Revolutionary War.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Southeast Asia was home for much of my childhood, but I moved to Hawaii when I was in high school.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“In the military, a combatant command is the ultimate job. It’s the pointy tip of the spear, overseeing the people carrying the rifles and flying the aircraft.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Every day, members of the LGBTQ community deal with challenges that most Americans will never have to face. These challenges appear in the workplace, in your homes, in your community, and even in the halls of Congress.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I almost can’t believe this even needs to be said, but it’s not unwarranted to burden retirement advisers with a requirement that they act in their clients’ best interest.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The lessons I learned as an officer, the challenges I’ve faced, and the camaraderie I’ve experienced are at the core of who I am.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I commanded an Army unit, and I placed the highest priority on a commander’s authority to lead, manage, and discipline the men and women under his or her command within the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I have personally seen what a devastating medical condition can cost.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Had I been injured on the freeway and not in combat, it is likely that I would be bankrupt even though I had medical insurance through my civilian employer.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I believe accurately remembering – and honoring – our whole past is the first step in governing in a way that effectively represents the whole America.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“We must be an inclusive nation that respects and supports all of its citizens: a nation that doesn’t give up on anyone who hasn’t given up on themselves.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Energy is one of the most precious battlefield resources, but it is risky and expensive to deliver in combat zones.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“We have an obligation to our men and women in uniform – and to future generations – to do something about the issue of climate change.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Illinois’ economy will benefit from the modernization of the power sector.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Veterans Day is a time to celebrate the men and women who have worn this nation’s uniform and to honor their service.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“As a nation, we need to do everything we can to make sure those who have served have the tools they need to succeed in civilian life.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Our military men and women are our greatest national treasure. They should be safeguarded as such upon their return.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I went to Iraq in 2004 because I believe in doing my duty, not because I agreed with the war.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“We should have completed the fight in Afghanistan instead of starting a new war in Iraq.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I was so proud when I was commissioned into the Army.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“When I hear from people who are struggling to put food on the table, I understand because I’ve been there.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“When I was young, my dad, a veteran who attended college on the GI Bill, lost his job at age 55 when the company he worked for was sold. My entire family pitched in – my mom took in sewing, and I got a minimum wage job after school.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“What seems like comfort and security one day can all be taken away the very next.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Life isn’t fair, and it isn’t government’s job to make life fair. But if you’re not willing to give up on yourself, then we shouldn’t give up on you, either.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Food Stamps helped keep me from going hungry, and Pell grants helped me go to college.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“It was the combination of hard work and a hand up that allowed me to become one of the first women to fly in combat missions and achieve my American Dream.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Student loans, Social Security, and Medicare make a difference in the lives of working families every day, and the conversation that should be taking place is how we can save these programs, not weaken them.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The women putting their lives at risk for our country deserve better than to be treated as second-class citizens.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I know firsthand that immigrants make enormous contributions to our nation, but I also know that we need to secure our borders and make sure that those who came here illegally wait their turn, pay a fine and any unpaid taxes, and pass a criminal background check before becoming citizens.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I consider myself lucky to have been born into a family that valued service to both one’s country and one’s community.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Whether defending our nation as a Black Hawk pilot abroad or serving our veterans and those in need at home, my life has been enriched by the opportunities I’ve had to serve my country and fellow citizens, both in and out of uniform.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Like so many women, especially military women, I waited to have children.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I didn’t want to get pregnant while commanding an assault helicopter company and, before I knew it, I was deployed and missed out on many of my childbearing years.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Each and every time I went in for IVF treatments, I knew there was a bipartisan group of Congresswomen praying for me, and I was honored that the same group was there at my baby shower.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Like many moms in this country, I work to provide my child the best life she can have. It’s tough. It’s hard to take care of a sick baby all night, wake up tired, and have to go to work when all I want to do is spend time holding her.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I can’t avoid the interest in the fact that I’m an injured female soldier.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“Our troops do an incredible job every single day, but our policymakers have not lived up to the sacrifices that our troops make every day.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I’m glad that people know my military service. But, like this nation, we are more than our military. And the rest of our story is the same as the rest of my story.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I get up every single day trying to repay a debt that I can never repay. Never. And I will work hard. Because I don’t know why I was saved. I don’t know.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I grew up a daughter of a United States Marine, a daughter of a man so proud to be an American.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“The wheelchair and the prosthesis give me a soapbox to stand on. If it helps me get my message across, I’m glad; then we need to talk about what we need to do for this country.”

― Tammy Duckworth

“I spent twenty years in the Army; of course it’s going to color the things I talk about. If anyone spends twenty years doing anything, that’s going to play a part in who you are as a human being.”

― Tammy Duckworth