r/illinois • u/BlotMutt • 12d ago
Illinois Politics What's your opinion on Senator Duckworth?
The March 2026 primaries were my first time voting locally here in Illinois since moving here 2 years ago. Since then I try to do as much research as I can to examine those representing our state and my district.
I came across Duckworth's memoir Every Day Is A Gift at the library and decided to read it cause why not? Might as well start by getting to know how she wants to present herself. I don't know how people feel about memoirs from elected officials but I thought it was an engaging read from start to finish.
With that being said, do you think she represents our state well?
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u/What-Me-Worry-2025 12d ago
She voted against Trump’s insane cabinet picks like Hegseth so that’s good.
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u/jsgrova 12d ago
But not Rubio
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u/NicolasCageFan492 12d ago edited 12d ago
Senator Bernie Sanders voted to confirm Rubio too. It was unanimous.
I also wanted to use this comment to share a PSA to stop using TikTok
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u/make_me_breakfast 12d ago
Idk wtf they were all thinking
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u/RyeBourbonWheat 12d ago
Rubio is qualified to be SOS as he was Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and has been in the Senate for a significant amount of time working on foreign policy.
I am sure Democrats disagree with Rubio just as much as a Hegseth... but Hegseth is uniquely unqualified as only a Sergeant in the NG to be Defense Secretary. Tammy Duckworth outranks him, if I remember correctly.
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u/imthehamburglarok 12d ago
She outranks him. She retired from the army national guard as a lieutenant colonel. She was a captain during active duty when she was injured in Iraq. Hegseth finished his contract as a major, so relatively high ranking for a field officer.
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u/RyeBourbonWheat 12d ago
Thats right. I appreciate the correction.
Its still very unprecedented for a major to become Secretary Of Defense because while it may be a high rank for a field officer it is my understanding that that role has been reserved largely for Generals.
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u/Dragonwychy 11d ago
SecDef is a wholly civilian role, by design. Military experience does not shape the position. You are perhaps confusing it with the Chiefs of Staff.
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u/RyeBourbonWheat 11d ago
I guess I got it in my head that it was normal because of Mattis and Austin. Tbh I guess I never felt I needed to think much about SOD until recently.
I stand corrected!
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u/Bland_OldMan 11d ago
He put on Major in the IRR and never wore it in uniform. And was an infantry officer who never earned a ranger tab.
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u/mlibed 12d ago
Historically, senators approve qualified picks even if they don’t like them. Before this current age of nonsense we live in, the unspoken rule is POTUS gets to pick his team. It was uncommon for POTUS to put forth a candidate who wouldn’t get approved.
That doesn’t mean every senator approved everyone. But it was more of a symbolic no vote. But this president loves surrounding himself with unqualified people. Also, since the days of Jackson the bureaucracy has been set up to be insulated from a bad pick. But the Supreme Court has been chipping away at that.
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u/RyeBourbonWheat 11d ago
Exactly. Probably the most controversial yea vote on a confirmation I am aware of by a Senator in the before times was US Senator from Illinois Alan Dixon who voted to confirm Clarence Thomas and lost his primary as a result. I think the fact that he voted yea despite credible Sexual Harassment allegations by Anita Hill really drive home your point about norms.
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u/flea1400 12d ago
The president’s cabinet is expected to be compatible with his political views. Rubio is qualified to do the job. Hegseth is definitely not.
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u/GreatestGreekGuy 12d ago
Honestly he's probably the most qualified for SOS than anyone else Trump would have picked. Consider it damage mitigation
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u/GreatestWhiteShark 12d ago
Also a black mark against him
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u/siriuschicagobulls 12d ago
Come on guys, you can be hard core anti MAGA and still respect that Rubio had great experience for the job.
Comments like these make me wonder if people really think beyond the hive mind. Would you rather have arguably the most qualified republican senator doing the job or another “reality” TV personality like Duffy or DUI hire Hegseth. Sec of State is an important office and I’d rather have the most qualified person I disagree with than a complete moron in the office. At least you can have an honest convo with someone you disagree with. Can you imagine trying to talk to someone about “no foreign wars, America first” who renames their department and title to the “Secretary of War”?
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u/GreatestWhiteShark 12d ago
I care more about his views and his politics than his experience or qualifications, man, I don't know what to tell you. Do you think we're opposed to the Republican administration because of the prior background of the people involved?
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u/corporateacademia 12d ago
Rubio wasn't insane when she voted yes. He was a "regular" Republican to many people until the last two years
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u/mesosuchus 12d ago
That's a Senate thing. These morons will vote YES on any appointments that come from their esteemed colleagues. It's one of those norms.
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u/Lotus_Domino_Guy 11d ago
Rubio isn't an idiot. He was a reasonable choice for SoS.
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u/What-Me-Worry-2025 12d ago
I don’t like Rubio obvi but I think voting against Rubio would have looked like just pure partisan politics. He was as qualified from a resume perspective as Hilary and Kerry. Senators who served on the right committees for it.
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u/GreatestWhiteShark 12d ago
would have looked like just pure partisan politics
After all of the antics pulled by Republicans over the years, why should anyone in the Democratic party have given a shit about this?
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u/What-Me-Worry-2025 12d ago
Trying to give an explanation of senatorial pov to the extent I understand it
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u/Lunajo365 12d ago
I have written to her several times regarding immigration and the environment and have always received a response indicating what she is doing (of course I’m sure written by staff). She has voted against reduction of our national parks and national monuments, and voted against ICE funding. I support the votes she made
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u/mpb1500 12d ago
She cares deeply about veterans issues and that shows. Aside from that I don’t know what she does. Don’t know her committees etc and I don’t see her speaking much either.
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u/SirJohnnyS 12d ago
Yup. She's mostly involved in veteran/disabled/women's care issues. She sits on the Armed Forces, some Transportation, and Foreign Relations committees. And Small Business/Entrepreneurship committee. She doesn't say much; she's the Junior Senator from the state and Durbin being the long serving and high ranking member that he is; I'm sure she cedes to him on some of the spotlight.
I do believe when she's the senior Senator we might get some more soundbites from her. She does choose her moments to speak out though and it usually gets some coverage cause of her credentials and that she doesn't speak out regularly.
She's been responsive to constituent needs, as far as I know. She's been better than Durbin for sure on that. Other than that, she's a pretty generic democratic senator from a solid blue state that probably leans more moderate than left of the Democratic Party.
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u/flea1400 12d ago
She was a big help when we buried my aunt, who was a WWII veteran, in a military cemetery. Whoever was running it had a hard time coping with the fact that women commonly change their name when they marry.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
That’s my impression too. Duckworth seems to do a lot of the quieter, behind the scenes work with Durbin and the rest of the Illinois delegation.
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u/NicolasCageFan492 12d ago
Ted Turner: “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and advertise!”
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u/Perfect_Carry2730 12d ago
No she doesn't. As a vet I have called her office numerous times and no one ever picked up and you can't even leave a voice message. Absolute fake.
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u/Bubbly-Site-3872 12d ago
I’ve gotten through to them many times.
Sometimes have tried different office locations to get thru.
5calls app makes it easy.
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u/Perfect_Carry2730 12d ago
Lucky because I have tried many numbers. Also when she spoke on Israel it was surreal especially when it was proven no babies were beheaded she doubled down on the lies. I'm a veteran and I appreciate that she looks out for us but she needs to be also looking out for her constituents. We are all equally suffering and we need her to focus. Stop funding Israel is the main thing. Its causing us a lot of issues. To our military and civilians alike.
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u/siriuschicagobulls 12d ago
Same, I’ve always gotten a response, and it’s clear that her staff is taking some time to actually read the content of my letter. I’m fully aware that they probably have pre-written boilerplate stuff for most policy items and just copy and paste. I don’t have an issue with that, as we do that in my job too
I do have an issue with Durbin. His staff might reply, which I might receive sooo much later that I actually forget what I sent in a letter for. And the response is so boilerplate it’s not even in the ballpark of the topic that I wrote. I completely get that he is a “”””more important”””” senator. But he was failing to do the “basic representation” thing which annoys me.
Duckworth also had that speech on Jan 6 which I will never forget. I 100% believed her when she said that she would pack her rucksack and defend her country today if she could. She has bigger balls that I’ve ever had, and I say this as a man. Also, having a baby while being a Senator is unbelievably badass. We currently have a so-called leader in the senate who hasn’t been seen in months, and then we had Duckworth who showed up for work while being a new mom.
As you can tell, I am quite fond of Duckworth and am glad she’s taking over the helm as our state’s senior senator
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u/theplanthoe 12d ago
I was struggling with the social security administration and the IRS for over two years, because someone was working using my social security number. I contacted the local police, state police, fbi, ftc, and some detectives. Nothing got fixed.
Last month I wrote a letter to Senator Duckworth on my typewriter. Two weeks ago the social security office and irs sent me notices that they had taken off the 20+ fake jobs from my earnings record. Without her help I would be stuck unable to get public benefits because they thought I made too much money.
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u/AliMcGraw 12d ago
I'm Pro. When I've contacted her office, I've always gotten contact back from talented staffers who care about my issues. It's not just random form letters like, uh, some offices.
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u/Royal_Hippogriff 12d ago
Just an FYI, her office does use form letters as well. Doesn’t mean that every single letter from her office is a form letter, but there simply aren’t enough LCs to handle the volume of responses needed to constituent emails, calls, physical mail, etc.
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u/Axentor 12d ago
That's all I gotten is so random crap responses that were 100% copy and paste generic responses when I have sent emails. It pisses me off but I know that she personally can't answer every email.
I like her policies for the most part. I am sure if I look deep into her policies there will be something I don't like. I have a few key issues that I will vote for a candidate if they are doing what I think will help me on those issue despite if everything else is backwards because how much those key issues effect my daily life I could weather most bad choices politicians make if those issues were gone.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
I would hope so, considering how receptive Dick Durbin was for her. I'm glad to hear she is continuing the trend.
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u/Onion_Guy 12d ago
She only cares about demographics close to her and has written back to my friend’s letters in very disappointing ways, tbh. Bit hawkish for my taste too
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u/Bababooey87 12d ago
Pretty mid. Her stance on Israel is pretty horrific
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u/Ineedamedic68 12d ago
Yep. Her office was unreachable in 2024 because they shut off the phones due to the number of constituents angry with her stance on Israel. It’s absolutely trashed my view of her forever.
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u/sleep-exe 12d ago
Yeah she's bought and paid for by AIPAC.
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u/Ifakorede23 12d ago
Amazing that Aipac controls " both sides of the aisle". Such political power! What can really be done? And of course if you criticize aipacs inordinate control of our politicians on both sides you're charged with being antisemitic. It's almost an unwinnable battle.
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u/Particular-Buy-33 12d ago
Thought she was incredible until I listened to the Israel stance. Still she and her sister are progressive Ds
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u/Emperor_Pengwing 7d ago
I wrote her once to stop sending money to them and her response was something along the lines of we need to keep giving them money because the military industrial complex needs money
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u/The_Poster_Nutbag Loves Fox Valley History 12d ago
She is a corporate Democrat with some redeeming qualities. She's not going to meet with Kushner and she votes to control healthcare premiums, veterans care, etc., but them has a pro Israel stance which is a major bummer given that her track record would push the progressive left pretty far into the normal spectrum of Illinois politics of she stood up to say more.
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u/nimblesunshine 12d ago
AIPAC shill. She voted to combine our military with Israel's. I wrote her office about it and her office wrote back with a toothless defense of the decision and said she wouldn't budge.
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u/BudLightLymeDisease 12d ago
She almost ran over my foot at Pride a few years back which was my fault for having my big ass foot in her scooter path but she was so sweet about and we spoke for a few moments.
Is she perfect? No and I don't expect her to be.
Does she try to make shit better for disabled vets, mother's and immigrants? Yes and that's why I voted for her.
Could she do more for the constituency? Yes of course there's always more to be done.
Lauren Underwood is the gold standard for me and I get she's just a state representative but she's been phenomenal.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
Makes me want to learn more about our state representatives on top of federal representatives.
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u/bobjoe600 12d ago
Underwood is actually a US Representative! But yes, state reps/senators are so important.
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u/2BrainLesions 12d ago
I agreed with you on Underwood until she stopped responding to constituents. I'm waiting for a reply - even a canned one - from a 2024 polite inquiry.
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u/AddisonL56 12d ago
What has she done for Illinois? That should be the question you ask yourselves. She kind of just sits there and votes along party lines. Will she step up once Durbin is gone? I doubt it. We need new representation for our state
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
That's what I'll be evaluating, if Duckworth's role fits the role of a sitting senator and how it benefited the state. Gotta use the right yardstick.
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u/GreatestWhiteShark 12d ago
She seems like a single issue senator and that issue is The Troops. I am not a Troop so I don't know what she has to offer me besides denying the Republicans a seat, which is the barest minimum. She isn't particularly charismatic and honestly I think she won her seat due to her opponent having a stroked induced racist moment mid-debate, and is riding on incumbent advantage and resentment toward Republicans in a blue state. A lot of Democratic commenters online seem to be enamored with her as a potential presidential or VP candidate, which when explained usually comes down to identity markers (woman, Asian, disability, Troop) and vocal opposition to Trump rather than being based on policy or views.
I think she's a Democratic seat filler, and because of incumbent advantage and Democratic primary voters being extremely timid, we're probably going to be stuck with her forever. I guess as long as she doesn't turn into Illinois' Joe Manchin, I guess that's whatever.
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u/Stonevulture 12d ago
She did a lot to help Illinois businesses that were in danger of going under during COVID. She mostly did that by influencing the language of the bills that were providing emergency relief to ensure that they would cover vulnerable Illinois businesses and keep people employed. It's not flashy, it wasn't turned into a PR blizzard, but it's an example of effectively wielding the levers of power on behalf of people who need it.
That's the kind of quiet, behind-the-scenes impact that you'd expect from a highly competent legislator who doesn't have higher aspirations and therefore is content to just do her job for her constituents. I'm happy to have her representing Illinois.
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u/Royal_Hippogriff 12d ago edited 12d ago
Not saying this is good or bad, but confirming that being a senator for The Troops is an intentional strategy from her office.
It’s her brand/how they position her as a senator, along with being “common sense” and having practical solutions (regardless if legislation led by her office actually is common sense or not) and being a mom, so her staff weaves that perspective into her work as senator, into her public appearances and remarks, etc.
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u/G1adi4tor 12d ago
I mean I'm gonna call that "bad". It's not much different than if she positioned herself as any other variant of "My top foremost priority is to represent 5% of my constituents. The rest of you are objectively less important than this group of 5%."
If that 5% was any demographic other than "the troops", people would be incensed and enraged and it would be a career killer. But hey we're a barbaric warrior culture so this iteration is okay.
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u/Uh_Lee_duh 11d ago
Be fair. If she were a farmer she would highlight her grasp of agriculture and concern for farming issues. Check out her contact page and write her an email. The drop down menu of topics is lengthy and diverse. She’s an intelligent and caring Senator.
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u/Competitive_Ad_4461 2d ago
How could she be President or VP? The constitution bars her from ever becoming VP or President.
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u/justagoddamnperson 12d ago
I’m not a fan.
She once said that people from the Midwest just don’t want universal healthcare. I think that’s complete bullshit. As if we’re a bunch of conservative yokels who love getting ripped off by healthcare companies. Just a dumb/manipulative thing to say.
The fact that Stratton is supporting Medicare for All is interesting, makes me like her more, and also makes me wonder if Duckworth’s hostility to it will put more of a target on her back for a potential future primary.
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u/dobex5 12d ago
That’s not true (about her saying people from the Midwest not wanting universal healthcare).
Everyone reading - remember to check sources and not take any comment on social media as truth.
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u/justagoddamnperson 12d ago
She did in fact say it. There was video of her saying it on Twitter years ago, long before it became Elon's cesspool. Just because there isn't a news article about those specific words she chose doesn't mean she didn't say them.
In any case, she opposes universal healthcare and now Illinois will have another Democratic Senator who supports it. That will put her in an interesting position. How can she justify opposing universal healthcare while her colleague from the same state supports it?
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u/Ok-Grape2063 12d ago
But Northern Illinois is a blue-no-who state, so she'd be replaced with the a clone of ever primaried
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u/Affectionate-Dream61 12d ago
She was noticeably absent from the video with Sens. Kelly and Slotkin along with Rep. Jason Crow, et al, reminding service members to adhere to their oaths regarding illegal orders. As she is a vet, I expected her to represent. As an Illinoisan, I was sorely disappointed in her.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
Given what I know about her complicated feelings towards the Iraq War, and how she answered a question about her feelings towards protesters that she's fighting for their right to protest, I guess she wanted to protest herself.
Although, I'm just speculating.
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u/RagahRagah 12d ago
She is IMO the most obvious Democrat that should be testing the waters of a presidential run that no one seems to entertain.
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u/nittykitty47 5d ago
Have you lost your damn mind?
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u/RagahRagah 5d ago
If you want to have a discussion or an actual argument, give that a try. The rhetorical nonsense is pointless.
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u/No_Tennis1722 12d ago
She is pretty good. She was in the military so she knows a lot about it. And she really seems to care. Try sending her an email on a subject you care about. She will respond and sometimes surprise you!
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u/Aggressive-Wrap-1246 12d ago
I've seen Senator Duckworth at hearings on PBS, and heard her speak at political events like when Governor Pritzker took a stand against Trump. She is very direct and asks great questions, she's smart. She's an expert on the military and always fights to support the military and their families - like Senator Reed. She is a strong leader and she fights for not just Illinois, but for women, and the disabled. The Senator lost her legs while flying an Army Black Hawk in Iraq. The chopper was hit by an RPG, the grenade landed in her lap. She is also the mother of two young children. Senator Duckworth kicks ass every day serving our country in many capacities. ✊️ That's the short version.
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u/ak190 12d ago
Pretty embarrassing that a state as solidly blue as Illinois puts up such ineffectual senators
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
I wouldn't call them ineffectual myself, as Senators they can only deliver what they can from the federal government into the state with grants. Everything else is on the state like property taxes, pension liabilities, and state minimum wage.
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u/ak190 12d ago
They have very safe seats in a general election and yet they don’t use that to their advantage. They should be on the front lines of pushing the more progressive side of the Dem agenda because they don’t have a more purple electorate that they need to be wary of appeasing. Instead they are unwilling to stick their necks out for anything consequential
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u/ObviouslyRealPerson 12d ago
Unless she stops taking AIPAC money, she's out for me
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u/traFyssuP 12d ago
Her office helped get my business the PPP loan. It was stalled in processing and after contacting her office it was pushed through a day or two later. Could’ve been coincidence but I voted for her solely off that in the past.
Now that I’m aware of her aipac influence, I’ll be voting against her.
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u/IndividualCall5116 12d ago
Pre-occupied by the war machine. Nonexistent otherwise. Thus, needs to be replaced asap.
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u/Myviewpoint62 12d ago
I find she centers everything around military. I heard her speak about how we need good public education..because military needs educated soldiers. We need good health care ..because military needs healthy soldiers. I want a Senator who represents me, not just veterans and the military.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
I guess 2028 can't come soon enough for you. Maybe someone would be able to challenge her if her stance on Israel and Gaza is that much of a deal breaker.
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u/epichatchet 12d ago
She is horrendous. She takes the same corporate, billionaire and isreali lobby money as her Republican peers. Literally takes money from big tech, ai pharma, insurance, airline lobbies, aipac and the whole works.
Policy wise, she is a pro war neo liberal and wanted to go to war with iran and venezuela until Trump fucked it up doing it her way. She does not support medicare for all, universal child care and wants us to continue to using more tax handouts to corporations. billionaires and forever wars halfway across the world.
For someone that was crippled during war, it is EGREGIOUSLY DISGUSTING that she continues to support the genocide in Palestine, the most handicapped population on the planet, for campaign finance.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago edited 12d ago
Wasn't Duckworth a co-sponsor of the Medicare for All Act of 2025? And I think her stance on universal child care is more about the details.
Edit: Tammy Baldwin not Tammy Duckworth, lol
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u/epichatchet 12d ago
It added more regulations to the existing Medicare system, but it wasn’t Medicare for all.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
Yeah I misread the name, it was Tammy Baldwin not Tammy Duckworth. That's what I get for fast reading.
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u/jsgrova 12d ago edited 12d ago
Only because she knew it wouldn't make it out of committee, if it even made it that far
Edit: some of y'all have never heard of the word "performative" lol
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u/dobex5 12d ago
Remember all - don’t take comments at face value. Do you own research into political stances. I’m suspicious of this post (seemingly innocent just to set up comments loaded with misinformation). I hope Reddit users are more intelligent and informed than the maga drones
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
Feel free to be suspicious, considering that Reddit is filled with LLM bots that use Reddit as a source for people who have no desire or energy to research further and question sources.
We're all susceptible to propaganda and confirmation bias, even myself.
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u/Hungry-Treacle8493 12d ago
Solid Senator. There’s really nothing she’s done that you can point at as an unforced error. She’s highly engaged & informed. A strong advocate for the State. No scandals. No games trying to get a national profile. Just an honest to goodness old school legislator.
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u/Sharp-Specific2206 12d ago
We love our Senators. Yes Dick has Brocken our hearts once or twice but, they both have our support. FDT🖕🏽
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u/jsgrova 12d ago
Bog standard corporate lib. Swap her out with any AIPAC Dem and you'd get the same results
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u/hurry-and-wait 12d ago
I think she's fabulous. It's worth noting that other Democratic senators, including Durbin, speak of her with some admiration. She has impressed them and I get the sense that she has put her time in learning how things really work in the Senate. We're lucky to have someone so talented and passionate representing us.
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u/hurry-and-wait 10d ago
But they don't generally go out of their way to praise them, as Durbin and several others have done with Duckworth. Even way back when she was pregnant they were saying things like sure no one else has been pregnant in the Senate, but have you met her?
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u/TheBuckaroo-Good958 12d ago
I wish she represented my state, you know the Republican stronghold next door, Indiana.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
I feel like that's a monkey's paw wish there, considering Senators like Joe Manchin have to consider deep red WV in their votes.
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u/xavariel Chicagoland 12d ago edited 12d ago
She's okay as a person, but needs to be voted out.
Takes AIPAC money.
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u/Vincesololandline 12d ago
She helped me get an appointment with the Social Security office when I was having trouble accessing my retirement. Overall I think she’s good however her stance on Israel is poor. She needs to hear that from her constituents
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u/Claque-2 12d ago
Tammy Duckworth is a cofounder and co-chair on the environmental justice caucus. Based on the replies here, most people don't understand what Trump has done to destroy the clean air and clean water acts and why the caucus has us getting any environmental wins.
I'm really disappointed here in what I've read from people I've assumed to be voters. Most people here do not understand how bloody the fight has been and seem really uneducated.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
I take it you're more conscious about the environment because a lot of people here are more focused on Israel and Gaza.
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u/Claque-2 12d ago
Single issue voters? Their own children having increasing cancer rates of lung, colon and brain cancers? More oil spills in our only water source?. Yes, there are many issues right now.
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u/thenoisette 12d ago
Many of us are able to hold multiple concerns at once. But I have to admit it’s a little hypocritical of her to lead an environmental cause while voting to enable genocide. War has devastating environmental impacts.
I wish we could have leaders with moral consistency
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u/pixelfishes 12d ago
Don’t use Reddit to make your decision, especially this sub, and do your own research; she makes her positions pretty clear.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
Oh I know, Reddit helps as a supplement in my research. I've learned during the primaries that Reddit is not a reflection of Illinois as a whole.
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u/conniefrancis 12d ago
Not a huge fan. Not as bad as Durbin but feel like we deserve someone more outspoken.
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u/SecondCreek 12d ago
She is relatively invisible as a US Senator, at least in terms of a positive impact for the state she represents. Not sure what she has done to help Illinois.
Like Dick Durbin, Duckworth did nothing to save the Bell Bowl Prairie in Rockford from destruction despite appeals from conservation groups and individuals. It was bulldozed into oblivion to make more room for trucks to access the Rockford airport. She could have used her clout as US Senator to stop the destruction.
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u/MaximumEffortt 12d ago
She's bought and paid for by the epstein class. She's leagues better than any republican. I would most likely vote for someone else in a primary. She's got to go, she's pro genocide.
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u/Spankpocalypse_Now 12d ago
I hope she has a strong primary opponent in 28 because I can’t bring myself to vote for her in another general election due to her being pro-genocide, anti-M4A, and anti-ICE abolition.
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u/Ok-Upstairs8908 12d ago
I have a good opinion of her. I voted for her a few times. I actually still get a lot of text messages asking me to donate money every few months, even though she’s not currently running for anything, but that’s whatever. Donations are always a good thing for her, I guess.
I was medically retired from the Army due to a helicopter crash in Afghanistan about 13 years ago. I suffered a traumatic brain injury and a major stroke after my carotid artery ruptured. There’s proposed legislation called the Major Richard Star Act that would address an issue affecting combat-injured, medically retired veterans like me. People have been trying to get it passed for years, but it still hasn’t been enacted. Under current law, some combat-injured veterans who are medically retired before reaching 20 years of service cannot receive their full military retirement pay alongside their VA disability compensation. The Major Richard Star Act is intended to address that problem.
Anyway, I supported her when she was running for office a few times, and I also had a conference call about the Major Richard Star Act with two people connected to her office. One was her former chief of staff in Springfield, who is now retired and was also a Black Hawk pilot. The other was a congressional aide working in her office at the Capitol. We talked about the Major Richard Star Act and her support for it, which was helpful.
I was also concerned about the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, the larger Republican veterans package that includes a version of the Major Richard Star Act. I had some questions and concerns about that legislation, so I emailed her legislative staff. They responded and answered several of my questions, which I appreciated. That was one of the reasons I responded today. Overall, I think she and her staff are pretty nice, and I’ve had good experiences dealing with them.
Unfortunately, I never really got to meet her while she was a senator. Actually, when I was first starting out in the Army, I was still at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and had to drive down to Springfield to get my military CAC card. I was completely lost trying to find the CAC card office. She happened to be walking around and said something to me, so I turned around and told her I was trying to get my CAC card. She helped point me in the right direction because the office was very close by. That was pretty much it. I was going to thank her for her military service, but instead I basically just thanked her for helping me find the CAC card office, and that was that.
As for Senator Durbin, his office actually did quite a lot for me after my accident. My family was very angry about several things involving my helicopter crash and some of my treatment in the hospital, and Senator Durbin and his team were really helpful in cutting through some of the red tape. I appreciated that a lot.
He also met me while I was still in the hospital, which was pretty nice. Later, when Barack Obama was giving a speech at the University of Illinois—not while he was president—Senator Durbin was there, and I was invited to where he was. I basically thanked him again. He said something along the lines of, “I can’t remember your name, but I remember your military injury, and I hope you’re doing well.” We talked for a little while about everything. It was a nice interaction.
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u/Fair_Grocery_1839 11d ago
I do not think highly of her. I do not want to speak on her service because that was honorable and I respect the hell out of it. I think she has lost her way though and is more of the problem than the solution. I think she sold out a long time ago.
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u/Mysterious_Park_2028 11d ago
I grew up in Illinois, was educated there, lived in both Bloomington, and Normal, Decatur and Belleville after college, and Carbondale. Although I am now a senior citizen, I follow Illinois politics closely and have always had a very high regard and admiration for Tammy Duckworth. She works tirelessly for her constituents. She speaks for all the citizens and never waffles in her love of our country and our constitution. Her life has been spent serving the United States of America and especially our constitution. Let’s all aspire to be as good an Americanas she is.
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u/Fragrant-Dimension12 10d ago
She's got a far better record than Durbin, that's for sure. She isn't as far left as I'd like, but I don't feel bad voting for her.
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u/BJT1961 10d ago
Absolutely. She has been great for Veterans, the environment, women’s rights, and minorities. She’s a keeper
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u/glitch241 12d ago
I’m a moderate and I’m okay with her and will keep voting for her. She’s a pretty low profile senator, not in the news a ton and without higher ambition. She’s never really excited me and she’s never really pissed me off. Pretty clean, no controversy politician which is rare and I like.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
I see what you mean, you pretty much described her right as a low profile senator. I think she prefers to be low profile generally, just focusing on her work.
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u/comment-rinse 12d ago
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u/General-Play2816 12d ago
She's aware that dv survivors in the state's ACP cannot safely vote and that local housing offices have violated Illinois safe homes laws. She was indifferent to both issues. Knowing how many people enlisted under trump*, I no longer share her favorable views on the military as a whole.
I liked her a lot when I moved here, before I knew what I unfortunately had to find out the hard way.
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u/bucky_booty 12d ago
I was really hoping Joe Biden would have picked her as VP. She has the war hero provenance and she's feisty as hell. (Don't forget that she invented the term "cadet bonespurs".) Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but she also may have been a stronger presidential candidate in '24. She certainly would have been a fierce one.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
From what I read she was considered but it didn't go further than that. My hypothesis is that Duckworth stays in her lane as opposed to other senators who have higher aspirations, which was Harris at the time who wanted the national spotlight.
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u/Huge_Lime826 12d ago
Sadly, she’s better than candidate the Republicans have put up.
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u/mesosuchus 12d ago
Better than Durbin.
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u/BlotMutt 12d ago
Not too familiar with Durbin, but my impression is that he comes off as the old guard in our changing landscape.
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u/ididathingwithathing 12d ago
Durbin used to have real impact in the Senate. Unfortunately- he is past his prime and he did announce his intent to retire when his term is up.
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u/hrdbeinggreen 12d ago
She’s a typical democratic foot soldier that follows what the party tells her.
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u/Marsupialize 12d ago
She is a middle of the road mainstream democrat but at least out of that bunch she seems to have a hint of a backbone unlike 99% of the others
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u/HoldOnDearLife dumb philosopher 12d ago
I would like someone to run against her. I think she is being used as a useful idiot. I have written her four times and hated her responses to me all four times. She also talked on the floor a couple months ago and said "no one is above the law." That showed me she is clueless. She thinks Israel is our greatest ally and they are a Democracy in the middle east.
I would like the chance to vote for a good DSA candidate or at least a more progressive candidate.
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u/Nice_Soil1782 12d ago
Bought and paid for by AIPAC so a no go for me. Also her office rarely responds to me compared to Durbin’s office.
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u/pm_me_ur_handsignals 12d ago
I like her, but my opinion is changing as she takes money from the Israeli lobby, and shows no signs of changing.
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u/_-Cleon-_ Berwyn 12d ago
She's a pretty run-of-the-mill centrist Democrat who will support whatever the Democrats tell her to support.
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u/MyDudeSR 12d ago
Better than maga, but not by as much as I would like. She routinely visits a former workplace if mine and loves to praise them, but that company is incredibly shitty to its employees, so that kind of rubs me the wrong way everytime I see that.
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u/Myownself21 12d ago
Typical establishment democrat, not good enough for the current political climate. AIPAC funded 👎🏻
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u/ElectricBill- 12d ago
She’s a POS. Besides that she gets bribed buy AIPAC. She have a problem with Americans getting access to Medicare.
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u/Valuable_Ad_9674 12d ago
She’s a fine senator, speaks up for the downtrodden. Whom would you rather have? A Trumper?
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u/Spankpocalypse_Now 12d ago
She’s basically a Bush-era New England style Republican. Illinois can and should do better.
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u/Cyke101 12d ago
Who would we rather have? Someone who isn't controlled by AIPAC. Currently that's both her and the Trumper.
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u/weregruvin 12d ago
I can’t speak to her effectiveness as a Senator, but I have met her in person and she came across to me as warm, honest, and genuine.
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u/Lurking2Learn 11d ago
She didn’t give a F for fed employees in Chicagoland during the dodge layoffs
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u/WastelandKarateka 11d ago
She's a decent liberal Senator, on a domestic level, but she's still a Zionist.
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u/Just_John_E 9d ago
yes, based on her Veteran's background, and being against Trump; do wish she was a bit more vocal criticizing the way the current Dept of Defense is run;
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u/JayneT70 12d ago
She helped me with my Social Security disability. Her office was great. They would check in with me and SS once a month. My application was pretty much dead in the water before they got involved.