March 07, 2024

Duckworth Meets with the Illinois Chapter of Disabled American Veterans and Emphasizes her Commitment to our Nation’s Heroes

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and a Purple Heart recipient who served 23 years in the Reserve Forces, today met with several members of the Illinois Chapter of Disabled American Veterans. During the meeting, Duckworth and the group discussed comprehensive healthcare for Veterans including mental health support and how the implementation of the PACT Act is helping Veterans with illnesses from exposure to toxins, as well as Duckworth’s legislative wins and her continued efforts to improve quality of life for Veterans and their families.

“I know firsthand the difficulties Veterans with disabilities go through, and I appreciate the work organizations like the Illinois Chapter of Disabled American Veterans do to support the community,” said Duckworth. “Today’s meeting was good chance for me to thank them for their service to our nation and hear how I can continue to advocate for them and their loved ones on the federal level. I will keep working to support our Veterans in Illinois, in every corner of our great state and across the country.”

Duckworth has been a fierce supporter of and an effective legislator for our Veterans. She helped pass the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, historic legislation that was signed into law to overhaul the VA’s processes for toxic-exposed Veterans to include presumptions for several illnesses associated with burn pits and Agent Orange exposures to help deliver long-overdue VA healthcare and benefits across all generations of Veterans. Duckworth’s bipartisan Protecting Moms Who Served Act was signed into law to help address the maternal mortality crisis among women Veterans by helping improve care at VA facilities and shed light on the scope of this crisis, particularly among women of color.