Tammy Duckworth Skips Work, Remains Silent On Additional $1.3 Billion To Iran

In a breaking report, The Wall Street Journal reveals that the Obama administration sent two more planeloads of cash to Iran following the initial $400 million ransom. The additional cash payments were delivered within 19 days of the American prisoner release and totaled $1.3 billion.

In contrast to Senator Mark Kirk, who took immediate action yesterday by cosponsoring legislation to prohibit the Obama administration from making ransom payments to Iran, Tammy Duckworth remained silent as Congress went back into session. And, as one of the least effective members of Congress, Duckworth didn’t even bother showing up to work.

See if you can follow Duckworth’s logic following the first ransom report on August 3:

• Unlike the Obama administration, Duckworth refused to admit that the cash payment contingent on the release of our prisoners was ransom after weeks of silence. Duckworth’s excuse? All she knew about the payment was that the media reported that it was not a ransom:

"Well I have only seen what I’ve seen in the media so far…"

• Duckworth then explained that she was "looking forward" to getting "plenty of briefings on this":

"I will be back in Washington next month and I’m sure we will get plenty of briefings on this and I’m looking forward to it."

• So, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Duckworth finally had the opportunity – the obligation, to receive a briefing on the matter yesterday in the Capitol. However, Duckworth thought it would be best to skip it so that she could campaign with her donors in Chicago.

Watch as WBBM-TV asks Duckworth if she was shortchanging her constituents by campaigning instead of working:

[youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=150HX5LSWTI"]

Feigning ignorance about media reports regarding the ransom is bad enough; prioritizing a campaign appearance over her commitment to the people of the 8th District is even worse.

After defying the will of Illinois voters last year by staunchly supporting Barack Obama’s nuclear deal, Duckworth won’t even learn more about the consequences of appeasing the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.

If Tammy Duckworth truly wants to know what "a waste of taxpayer time and money" looks like – her words verbatim to describe Senator Kirk’s hearing to examine the ransom to Iran, she should have a staffer send a picture of her empty Washington, DC office.