Rep. Duckworth Hid Smart Phone In Leg Prosthetics During House Sit-In

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jun 23, 2016 3:01PM

Twitter / Tammy Duckworth
We all knew that Iraq war veteran and lawmaker Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is something of a badass. She reminded everyone just how much on Wednesday when she went to some rather extraordinary measures in preparation for the historic House sit-in protest for gun control legislation: Duckworth hid her smartphone inside one of her prosthetic legs to prevent it from being confiscated, according to a report from the Tribune.

It turned out to be a shrewd move, as the Democratic protestors came to rely on their own mobile devices to stream the proceedings when House Republicans called a recess and stopped the official broadcast. Even C-SPAN had to integrate the (technically forbidden) Periscope and Facebook Live feeds of demonstrating Congress members into its broadcast. Duckworth Tweeted some video Wednesday to illustrate the challenge:

But Duckworth's badassery didn't stop there. The representative, who is a double amputee, vacated her wheelchair to join her colleagues on the floor. The picture alone packs a wallop.

Several House Republicans have criticized the protest, with Paul Ryan calling it a "publicity stunt."

Voices on the opposite side have also expressed concern over the "no fly, no buy" demand, which would prevent anyone on the often problematic No Fly List from purchasing a firearm. House Democrats are also demanding a vote on strengthened background checks.

Nevertheless, you have to admire Duckworth's cunning and resolve. Duckworth, who is under some scrutiny for a costly failed Veterans Affairs campaign, is also preparing to face Sen. Mark Kirk in a bid for his U.S. Senate seat.