Duckworth addresses Service Year Action Summit, highlights importance of national service
WASHINGTON – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke at the Service Year Action Summit to promote the importance of civilian national service. As a Congresswoman, Duckworth led efforts to expand national community service opportunities with the introduction of the 21st Century American Service Act to increase service positions available through civilian national service organizations and ensure all Americans are informed of the opportunities available to them. As Senator, she intends to reintroduce the legislation as she continues her work to expand service opportunities for young Americans across the country.
“Serving my community and my country has always been a driving force in my life and I believe all Americans deserve the opportunity to give back to their country—in or out of uniform,” said Senator Duckworth. “Just as picking up a gun to defend our country is ‘American Service,’ so is picking up a soup spoon to feed the less fortunate, a stick of chalk to reach low-income children or a hammer to rebuild homes for those devastated by natural disasters. However, the President’s proposal to eliminate AmeriCorps and other organizations that empower Americans to give back to their country is unacceptable. I will continue working with organizations like Service Year and Members from both sides of the aisle to defend national service and work to make sure more Americans have the opportunity to participate in national service programs.”
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Senator Duckworth is a champion for civilian national service and an avid volunteer. She served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and continued to serve her fellow Veterans as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and then as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Throughout her career, she has also made a point of volunteering with community partners at local schools, food pantries and community centers. Service Year supports local, national and other civilian national service programs – including AmeriCorps – that work to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to serve and volunteer in their community, no matter their background. Illinois is home to 32 AmeriCorps programs, which are administered by nearly 1,600 members at over 400 host sites each year.
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