Zitat des Tages von Tammy Duckworth:
If you come from a military culture, and you go into see the general or the commander, and he talks to you very calmly and says, 'I'm very disappointed in you,' that's devastating.
I always wanted to be an ambassador.
My experience in Iraq made me realize, and during the recovery, that I could have died. And I just had to do more with my life.
As Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a constant concern for me is having our veterans dragged into partisan politics.
When I was young, my dad, a veteran who attended college on the GI Bill, lost his job at age 55 when the company he worked for was sold. My entire family pitched in - my mom took in sewing, and I got a minimum wage job after school.
Illinois' economy will benefit from the modernization of the power sector.
I consider myself lucky to have been born into a family that valued service to both one's country and one's community.
The ADA is the living testament to our Nation's commitment that we will always stand up for our neighbors' right to live fulfilling lives.
When I joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 1992, there were no female four-star generals. I still remember the day in 2008 when a woman first achieved that rank.
I admire Governor Blagojevich's unbending commitment to giving every person in Illinois access to health care.
My first direct encounter with the military was when I joined ROTC as a graduate student, although my father, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, can trace the military service in our family all the way back to the Revolutionary War.
I was born in Bangkok in 1968 and grew up in Southeast Asia with my Thai mom and my American father, who first came to the region to fight in Vietnam and stayed to work assisting refugees.
As a nation, we need to do everything we can to make sure those who have served have the tools they need to succeed in civilian life.
Like so many women, especially military women, I waited to have children.
Every day, members of the LGBTQ community deal with challenges that most Americans will never have to face. These challenges appear in the workplace, in your homes, in your community, and even in the halls of Congress.
I am just one of the overwhelming majority of Americans who is responsible and hard-working and at one point in their life benefited greatly from government programs such as student loans, Medicare, and Social Security.
My arm bones looked like chicken bones.
Our troops do an incredible job every single day, but our policymakers have not lived up to the sacrifices that our troops make every day.
My therapist would be so happy to know I'm doing all this walking. They've done a great job of putting me back together, haven't they?
I don't ever want to be sad about my life.
It's really hard to use a laptop when you only have half a lap.
I spent a lot of time between bars like this.
Nobody wants to be on food stamps, but when my family lost everything, we were grateful for it. I was grateful the program was there so I could concentrate on my schoolwork and not on my empty belly. We were grateful that we had the support we needed to roll up our sleeves and rebuild our lives.
It was the combination of hard work and a hand up that allowed me to become one of the first women to fly in combat missions and achieve my American Dream.
Those who put their lives on the line overseas are undoubtedly American heroes, but it's time for us to remember that those who serve in civilian life also embody the American spirit and are worthy of our praise as well.
The American Dream I believe in is one that provides anyone willing to work hard enough with the opportunity to succeed.
We must recognize and keep in the public consciousness the significant contributions and sacrifices Americans of every community have made that have helped forge the greatest country our world has ever known.
At my core, I know that the American Dream is about the opportunity to work hard to make your future.
The bottom line is, when you're in the Senate, you have more of a voice in the beginning than a new House member.
We must be an inclusive nation that respects and supports all of its citizens: a nation that doesn't give up on anyone who hasn't given up on themselves.
The military is a place of discipline, technical proficiency, and personal sacrifice for the greater good.
I believe accurately remembering - and honoring - our whole past is the first step in governing in a way that effectively represents the whole America.
I shouldn't even be here, so if I'm here, I better do something good.
I was so proud when I was commissioned into the Army.
Our military men and women are our greatest national treasure. They should be safeguarded as such upon their return.
We should have completed the fight in Afghanistan instead of starting a new war in Iraq.