YouSaid · the spoken record
Tammy Duckworth
We hold 79 passages that may be Tammy Duckworth’s. We do not publish them until we can confirm who spoke. See the correction.
On the record 2016–2026
congress · podcast
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“It is who she is, and it is why I am endlessly grateful to have been able to have her by my side for so long through so much. Let me finish by saying thank you to Kalina, of course, but also her family--Sandy, Wills, and Sofie--for lending your wife, your mom to us for those countless late nights and weekends. Kalina, I will miss you more than I could ever say, but just know how proud all of us are of you and how lucky I feel that I got to watch you grow into the force for good that you are today. Bon voyage, my friend. I know you are going to continue to do good for the rest of the world. I yield the floor.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“There are some differences that have divided even our office right down the middle. For instance, Kalina and our former legislative director Steph would literally sit in our office in those cubes in Cannon and horrify the rest of us by happily digging into a giant mason jar of sauerkraut, eating sauerkraut right out of that jar, for instance. But on nearly everything else, I just feel beyond fortunate to have found a partner so courageous in everything that she takes on, from learning English in America after moving from Bulgaria as a little girl to her ``Love Story'' karaoke performances to going head to head with the Senate Rules Committees to help me change our Chamber's bylaws to let parents take newborns onto the Senate floor. No challenge has been too daunting for her and no task too small. She simply cares.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“But Kalina refused, arguing that if we want to actually live up to our policy ideas, to our political party's ideals, it starts with us in our own backyard. And you know what? She was right. So we became the first office in either the House or Senate to grant 16 weeks of paid leave to new parents. And then we extended our family leave policy. We made sure that we didn't just talk the talk as Democrats, but that we also walked the walk as employers. And because of her, staffers have been able to go care for their fathers battling cancer; because of her, new moms have had the time necessary to look after themselves and their little ones in those precious all-important first few months after birth.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“As Democrats, we like to say that we are the party of middle-class families, which is true. But Kalina took it upon herself to make sure our office didn't just offer the standard family Senate policies for staffers, when it came to things like FMLA or parental leave. No, she wanted to set a new bar for congressional offices. She said to me: If we want our constituents to truly believe that we would fight for their families, then we have to fight for the families of those who come to work for us every day as well. And it wasn't simple. At first, it seemed like it would be too big of a resource hit to actually go through with the plan she was proposing. Could our budget afford it? Could our workforce afford it? It would have been easy to just scrap the idea, to backtrack, to stick with the status quo.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“Kalina is also a leader who has taken the lessons she has learned along her own career journey, and she used them not just for herself but for all of those climbing the ladder rungs of success behind her. As legislative director, then as deputy chief of staff, and now as chief of staff, she has made sure that the women in our office always-- always--know and fight for their worth. Now, because of her, there is a whole generation of female staffers that believe in themselves more fully, and Congress is a better place because of it, because of Kalina. I could go on and on about the constituents Kalina has helped, the bills she has helped to pass, the lives she has changed, the lives that she has saved, starting with her own work fighting to pass the Affordable Care Act; but let me just tell one more story.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“I know I do. That is just who she is. She is someone who so thoroughly and thoughtfully thinks of others that sometimes she does forget to think about herself. So it doesn't matter that folks in question are halfway down the block or halfway across the world, if she hears of someone in need, she will go sleepless until she exhausts every avenue of service. I have watched her sacrifice time with her own family to do everything possible to help families escape war-torn countries in the Middle East. She has made calls to fellow moms across the globe just to let them know they are not alone, that we are fighting for them, that we would never stop fighting for them. She has redefined the word ``compassion'' with every call she made, every ounce of hard work she put in, every time she went the extra mile for a stranger thousands of miles away.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“We were there for one another as we each became mothers, and we were there for one another as we worked day and night to make sure that other new moms would have an easier time than we did. It is thanks in large part to Kalina that my FAM Act became law, helping ensure that nursing moms traveling through airports would have access to private, clean, and accessible breast-feeding rooms. She recognized that we would never expect a traveler to eat lunch in an airport bathroom stall. Yet, for so many new moms, they had no choice but to breast-feed in one. She saw a wrong, and she righted it. It took 5 years, but in doing so, whether they know it or not, she bettered the lives of countless women across this country. So every time you are heading to your airport gate and see one of those breast- feeding pods, think of and thank Kalina.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“Kalina is someone whose passion for public service is matched only by her compassion for others. And don't be fooled by her soft voice; when she believes in something she will fight harder than you can imagine to transform a pipedream into a reality, to do some good, to do right by a constituent who is desperate for someone, somewhere to lend them an ear or a hand. You know, it is rare to find someone whose North Star so closely aligns with your own, but that is what I found in Kalina; a kindred public servant, a trusted sounding board, a truthteller who will call me out when I am wrong. She somehow stays unshakable, even in moments of chaos, and beyond it all, a fiercely loyal friend.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I come to the floor today to honor someone who has changed the lives of millions of Americans, though until this moment, they may have never heard her name: Kalina Thompson, my chief of staff, who is leaving our office at the end of the month, after more than a decade by my side. Kalina and I did not meet as kids. We met when I was already a Congresswoman. But in a way, it still feels that we grew up together, as we learned from each other and leaned on one another from my early days in the House, finding out what it truly means to serve this great Nation, to lead, to not just get through long workdays in order to simply make it until tomorrow, but to make sure that tomorrow is even better than yesterday for the good of those coming up behind you.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“The group's regular meetings and internal resources in the Senate help working moms feel united and supported in navigating the Senate workplace and raising children in the Washington, DC, area. Thank you, Jennifer, for your inspiring work that empowers families and healthcare professionals to advance children's health and nutrition. You have encouraged the many moms who help keep the U.S. Senate functioning day-to-day. We wish you the best in all the future offers you. ____________________”
Senate14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, along with my colleague Senator Mike Crapo, we join in honoring Jennifer Anderson, registered dietitian, for her commitment to children's health. We thank her for sharing about her work with the Senate Moms group. As the founder of Kids Eat in Color and the CEO of BetterBites, Jennifer Anderson supports parents navigating the challenges of feeding their children well by sharing education, strategies, and resources focused on nutrition and eating.”
Senate14 September 2026Source ↗
“Our staff lead the Senate Moms group, a bipartisan group of more than 200 moms employed by the U.S. Senate. The group's regular meetings and internal resources in the Senate help working moms feel united and supported in navigating the Senate workplace and raising children in the Washington, DC, area. Thank you, Dr. Kristina, for your inspiring work to ground and connect them to what truly matters by exploring their experiences as working mothers. You have set an excellent example for the many moms who help keep the U.S. Senate functioning day-to-day. We wish you the best in all the future offers you. ____________________”
Senate20 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, along with my colleague Senator Mike Crapo, we join in honoring Dr. Kristina Sawetz-Glasener, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, for her devotion in serving children and families across the Washington, DC, area. We thank her for facilitating a hands-on interactive session with the Senate Moms group. Dr. Kristina Sawetz-Glasener is the owner of her own private practice, the Creative Counseling Center of Northern Virginia, LLC.”
Senate20 July 2026Source ↗
“I ask for the yeas and nays.”
Senate13 July 2026Source ↗
“I ask for the yeas and nays.”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled vote begin immediately.”
Senate28 April 2025Source ↗
“And that is whom Donald Trump and Elon Musk are firing. If you want to save money, I am all for it. I am there with you. I actually passed legislation that saved this country billions of dollars in fraud and waste that occurred in the Department of Defense. I also think that Elon Musk's decision to deport people to India using a C-17 aircraft at the cost of $2 million of taxpayer money, when normally that flight would cost $38,000 if you were to actually charter an aircraft, was an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars. Let's talk about who is wasting money here. Elon Musk is wasting money, and it is Donald Trump wasting money. At the same time, President Trump has become the President who fired the most veterans in our Nation's modern history, over 6,000 fired and counting. Let's set the record straight. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Senate9 April 2025Source ↗
“Some of the veterans who have been laid off are park rangers in our National Park Service who are now out of a job--people who were promoted because they did such a good job. One person I was trying to get their job back was actually working with the Veterans Crisis Hotline. They were doing such a good job answering the phones that they were promoted to trainer. As soon as they were promoted to be a trainer to help other people to answer those hotlines, which could help stop veterans death by suicide, they became probationary employees, and they were fired. That is the kind of thing we are talking about--people being laid off from their jobs, veterans who worked hard for this country and worked hard in the Department of Veterans Affairs and other Federal Agencies like the National Park Service, like the EPA, like the DOT.”
Senate9 April 2025Source ↗
“I just want to set the record straight that the VA's population of employees did grow because of the PACT Act, a bill that was voted on and passed in a bipartisan way to save the lives of those veterans who would otherwise be dying if they did not have access to VA healthcare for the illnesses that are caused by their exposure to toxic substances. So let's be clear about why we hired more people within the Department of Veterans Affairs: It was because they were given the permission by this Congress, by this body, in a bipartisan way, passing the PACT Act legislation, which funded care for veterans who were exposed to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan and toxic substances from their military service. My resolution is about all veterans who serve this Nation.”
Senate9 April 2025Source ↗
“These are heroes who deserve our utmost gratitude, not a letter from Elon Musk telling them that they failed to do their jobs and that they are out of those jobs. Instead, Trump and Elon Musk gave them the middle finger and a pink slip. ``Cadet Bone Spurs'' may like to wrap himself in the flag with one hand, but with the other he is signing off on the orders that sell out our veterans to line the pockets of his rich friends, and our warriors deserve better. So this afternoon, Senator Blumenthal, Senator Sanders, and I are introducing three resolutions that demand the reinstatement of every veteran who has been fired and betrayed by Donald Trump. If Republicans actually care about our heroes, like they claim to when they are on the campaign trail, then they will vote with us Democrats and help give our veterans their Federal jobs back.”
Senate9 April 2025Source ↗
“For no apparent reason, he has already fired more veterans than any other American President in modern history, over 6,000 and counting. He has been forcing the bravest people you or I could ever meet to have to worry about how they are going to put food on their family's table next week or keep a roof over their heads next month. The biggest predictor of veterans homelessness is not that they are suffering from post-traumatic stress. It is not substance abuse. It is loss of a job. Homelessness is directly linked to joblessness. These folks that Trump fired, these are folks who did one, two, six, even seven tours. They came home and chose to continue serving their Nation by joining the Federal service.”
Senate9 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, let me just say that, at the VA, we recently passed the PACT Act, which added well over a million veterans to the rolls to help care for them after they were exposed to toxic substances. This is not the time to cut the funding for the VA. But I am here today to speak on behalf of all veterans who have been fired by President Trump and Elon Musk. Look, Donald Trump couldn't tell you the meaning of the words ``service'' or ``sacrifice'' if he had a dictionary laying open in front of him. So how dare a coward who cried ``bone spurs,'' when his Nation needed him the most, turn his back on those who, unlike him, were actually brave enough to serve our country in uniform. What he has done to our veterans in just a few months since he has been back in office amounts to a total betrayal.”
Senate9 April 2025Source ↗
“I ask for the yeas and nays.”
Senate14 March 2025Source ↗
“Cadet Bone Spurs may like to wrap himself in the flag with one hand, but with the other, he is signing off on the orders that sell out our veterans to line billionaires' pockets, and our warriors deserve better. That is one reason I am urging my colleagues to vote yes on my Protect Veteran Jobs Act--a simple amendment that would reinstate every veteran who has been fired because of Trump and Musk's betrayal. If Republicans actually care about our veterans like they claim to on FOX News--”
Senate14 March 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1274 and ask that it be reported by number.”
Senate14 March 2025Source ↗
“I ask for the yeas and nays.”
Senate20 February 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I call up Duckworth-Booker amendment No. 971 and ask that it be reported by number.”
Senate20 February 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I yield 30 minutes of postcloture debate time to the Democratic leader.”
Senate12 February 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, on behalf of our brave men and women in uniform and their families and all Federal employees, I vote no.”
Senate5 February 2025Source ↗
“President, at this time I will end my remarks.”
Senate5 February 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor and commemorate the extraordinary life of Carl Wesley Moore, who sadly passed away on January 27, 2025. Carl was a dedicated family man, a devoted man of faith, and a proud veteran who honorably served his country. Born on February 10, 1960, Carl grew up in Chicago, IL, where he attended Chicago Public Schools and graduated from Chicago Vocational High School before enlisting in the U.S. Navy.”
Senate5 February 2025Source ↗
“Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.”
Senate27 January 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor and commemorate the extraordinary life of Jerry Atkinson, who sadly passed away in California, while visiting his grandkids, on December 24, 2024. A proud Illinoisian, his insurance business, and dedication to helping others supported many Illinois families plan and secure their futures. Born to Bill and Aileen Atkinson on November 28, 1955, Jerry grew up in Westchester, IL. In Westchester, he forged and maintained lifelong friendships that meant the world to him.”
Senate22 January 2025Source ↗
“So you, sir, are a no go at this station. I am voting no on Pete Hegseth's nomination to be Secretary of Defense. If my colleagues care more about keeping our Nation strong than genuflecting to Donald Trump, then they should have the courage to vote no as well. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”
Senate16 January 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to display a framed item during my remarks.”
Senate16 January 2025Source ↗