Friends,

At just five foot one, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made an outsized impression on our nation.

Even before she joined the Supreme Court, she changed the lives of all American women when she won a case by arguing that equal protection promised under the 14th Amendment didn’t just mean equal protection for men.

After she arrived on the Court, she delivered for people with disabilities with her landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C. which put a stop to their unjustified segregation and institutionalization.

And she helped pave the way for women in the military — women like me — to succeed in their careers and gave us the opportunity to achieve our dreams.

Without Justice Ginsburg, I wouldn’t have been able to serve in a combat role due to my gender — and I definitely wouldn’t have been able to command a unit of mostly men.

So last week, I took my daughters on a field trip instead of sticking to Abigail’s normal homeschooling routine, and we went to pay our respects as a family to Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s memory.

I didn’t expect to get emotional, but as soon as I got to the steps of the Supreme Court, I started to cry. Because I know that Justice Ginsburg didn’t just make my career possible — she made it possible for me to have a family.

Without Justice Ginsburg and her work to safeguard healthcare and reproductive freedoms, I might never have been able to get pregnant through IVF. I might not be a mom to Abigail and Maile today if not for her.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent decades defending my rights so I would have the chance to prove what I am capable of and achieve both my career goals and my personal goals.

There is only one way I can pay her back: By rolling up my sleeves and fighting like hell to defend all of our rights.

So that’s what I will do every day from the United States Senate.

And even if my daughters will be too young to remember going to the Supreme Court to pay our respects, they will serve as a living testament to all that Justice Ginsburg fought so hard for.

All my best,

Tammy Duckworth