While deeply disappointed with the results of last week’s elections, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, said she’s hoping to work with her Republican colleagues.
“That’s what I’m going to be focused on,” Duckworth said Monday after attending a Veterans Day event in Belleville. “Obviously, with Donald Trump as president, my work is cut out for me to really work to counter many of his authoritarian tendencies. I will make sure that we maintain the checks and balances in government, and we don’t just have a dictator.”
Specifically, Duckworth said she’s worried what expanded tariffs could mean for Illinois farmers and manufacturers.
On issues such as immigration and reproductive health, echoing a similar tone from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Duckworth said her state would continue to be welcoming for all people.
“My focus is on making sure that the people of Illinois remain safe, that our economy continues to grow and that we bring businesses back,” she said.
The senator was not up for reelection this year after she won a second six-year term in 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris won the state by only 8 percentage points last week — a far smaller margin than previous Democratic presidential nominees.
Duckworth declined to speculate where Democrats failed in this election.
“I will let the Harris campaign figure that out,” she said.
After general election losses by Duckworth’s colleagues like Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, the Democrat will be working out of the Senate minority. It appears likely that Republicans will also control the U.S. House.
She was, however, encouraged to see fellow Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin reelected because she’s also a more moderate member of her party, Duckworth said.
“I think that's where most Americans are,” Duckworth said. “They want us to work together, and they want us to compromise — and I hope we get there.”
Duckworth said she sees a path for bipartisanship, specifically on issues like the farm bill and defense budget.
Veterans Day speech
Duckworth, local officials and veteran leaders paid homage at the event Monday to those who served.
“Veterans Day is a day of celebration,” she told the crowd. “This is not a day to mourn. This is a day to celebrate.”
After Belleville elementary students read essays about the holiday and each military service member stood for their branch’s march, Duckworth said there was still legislative work to be done for veterans.
The PACT Act, which provides benefits to veterans who’ve been exposed to toxic burn pits, serves as a good example of that work, she said.
Duckworth said she’d also like to make it easier for veterans to go back to school, enter the workforce, expand hunger prevention programs and prevent homelessness.
This Veterans Day marks a special one for Duckworth, a veteran herself.
Tuesday marks 20 years since the helicopter that she was piloting was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq, causing her to lose both legs.
Duckworth calls it her “Alive Day.”
“I'm only alive today because my buddies, who thought I was dead, refused to leave my body behind. They went back and carried me to safety, thinking that they were returning a body for my mom to bury,” she said. “Today, I'm thinking of their heroism that gave me the opportunity to not only live but live a life that was so much fuller than I could ever have imagined.”
