Why She Made the List
Her experience as a veteran and policymaker gives her a strong voice on defence policy, veterans’ affairs and national security legislation.
Summary Bio
Tammy Duckworth is a United States Senator representing Illinois and a decorated combat veteran of the Iraq War.
Duckworth served as a US Army helicopter pilot until 2004, when she lost both legs after her aircraft was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq. She later served as Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs before being elected to Congress in 2012 and the Senate in 2016.