Duckworth Discusses Service Opportunities for Military Families during SASC Hearing

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — During a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke about the importance of creating service opportunities for military family members so they can engage with their communities, gain new skills and even progress toward educational opportunities. The hearing focused on the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service’s report about the selective service system and ways to expand and reform national and public service opportunities and programs. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is Chair of the SASC Airland Subcommittee. Video of the Senator’s remarks can be found here.

“Military families serve alongside their servicemembers and often go above and beyond what they’re asked to do; and yet, spouses and other family members face hurdles to education and employment, and can find themselves isolated from their extended family and support networks,” said Duckworth. “I’ll keep working to enrich the lives of our military family members by expanding service opportunities.”

Duckworth has long advocated for ways to expand opportunities for Americans to participate in their communities through service. She helped introduce the America’s Call To Improve Opportunities Now (ACTION) for National Service Act, which builds on her 21st Century American Service Act, would expand opportunities for service across the country, increase living stipend amounts, establish a 21st Century American Service Outreach Program and much more. In 2020, she helped introduce bipartisan legislation to expand national service programs significantly to help the country respond to and recover from the public health, economic and social crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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