The people of Illinois need not wonder how Tammy Duckworth would have voted this afternoon when Senate Democrats blocked the bipartisan American SAFE Act from even being debated. Back in November, Tammy Duckworth opposed the House bill to pause the Syrian refugee program until new screening requirements are implemented.
Just yesterday, the Associated Press reported on the big differences between Senator Mark Kirk’s strong leadership on national security and Duckworth’s reckless support for accepting 200,000 refugees – 20 times more than President Obama:
…there are clear differences between the two candidates on national security issues, including how to handle the refugee crisis.
Kirk has called for a “pause” in admitting Syrian refugees until the administration “can guarantee with 100 percent assurance” they aren’t ISIS members or sympathizers. He wants the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to certify an individual poses no threat to the U.S., hasn’t posted pro-terrorist messages on social media and hasn’t helped any terrorist organization before they could enter the country.
Duckworth, meanwhile, has called for accepting 200,000 refugees, including 100,000 from Syria — far more than the number supported by President Obama.
Kirk has called her position extreme, even compared with other Democrats. At the recent lunch presentation, he said it was the equivalent of giving ISIS an “air force” to invade the U.S.
As her primary opponents continue to gain momentum – thereby preventing Democrats from rallying behind the establishment candidate, it’s shameful that Tammy Duckworth chose this critical matter of national security to demonstrate the extreme lengths to which she is willing to go in order survive her unexpectedly bruising primary.