This afternoon, the official twitter account for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) tweeted out the following: “Tammy Duckworth has a sad record of not standing up for veterans.”
Duckworth of course became the first female double amputee in the Iraq War when a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) hit her helicopter. In addition to her 21 years of service in the National Guard, she is a current member of the House Armed Services committee. She also has a tremendous record on Veterans issues including service in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
From her personal site’s biography
On November 12, 2004 Tammy’s UH‐60 Black Hawk helicopter was hit by a rocket propelled grenade. She lost both legs and partial use of her right arm in the explosion. As a result of her injuries, Tammy was awarded the Purple Heart.
Following her injuries, Tammy became an advocate for Veterans. While serving as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs in Springfield, she implemented many first in the nation programs to alleviate suffering from Post Traumatic Stress, improve traumatic brain injury screening and reduce homelessness among Veterans. She declined a military medical retirement and continued to drill as a Lieutenant Colonel in Springfield with the Illinois Army National Guard.
In 2009, President Obama nominated Tammy to be an Assistant Secretary at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. There, she headed the department’s effort to end Veteran homelessness and was a leader in initiatives for female Veterans. She also implemented innovative efforts such as creating the Office of Social Media and Online Communications and the Office for Tribal Government Relations.
Edit: The tweet has been deleted, but I have a screenshot.