Senator Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who was among the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014. 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.
Senator Duckworth believes Social Security represents a promise the government made to every American who pays into the system. Millions of seniors like her mother depend on the stability and security this program provides. After a lifetime of hard work, Americans deserve to retire with dignity and financial security.
Congress cannot balance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable. As costs for food, rent and medication increase, seniors are forced to stretch their benefits and make hard choices about basic needs. That is why she is working with her colleagues to make sure families, both in the public and private sector, are able to save enough for retirement.
Senator Duckworth will continue to update the laws and regulations to make sure Congress continues to protect and strengthen the promise of Social Security.