Remember “If you like your ransom, you can keep your ransom”? That Obamanian toe-tappin’ chart topper has some Republicans seeing red. In fact, the Obama administration’s apparent $400M ransom payment to Iran – which “coincided” with the release of Americans being held in that country – and an arm$ di$pute payment has Senate Republicans introducing legislation to make Iran give the money back. Reports The Hill:

Senate Republicans are taking aim at the Obama administration’s settlement of an arms dispute with Iran, which GOP lawmakers believe was a ransom, amid lingering backlash over the agreement.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is introducing legislation Tuesday to force Iran to return the money and pay American victims of Iran-backed terrorism. The Treasury Department would be blocked from making payments to Iran out of its Judgement Fund until Tehran complies with the bill.

Rubio said in a statement: “President Obama may have attempted to appease our enemy with pallets of cash secretly delivered on an unmarked cargo plane, but Iran continues to cheat on the nuclear deal, harass our military, hold Americans hostage, and fund terrorism around the world.”

Continues The Hill:

The Obama administration paid $1.7 billion to Tehran earlier this year to settle a decades-old arms dispute.

Republicans have seized on the details of the initial $400 million cash payment made in January, which coincided with the release of Americans being held in Iran, to argue that it was a ransom payment. Though the State Department maintains that the payment wasn’t a “ransom,” it acknowledged the $400 million was used as “leverage” to help ensure the prisoners were released.

A House bill that will consider Iran legislation is expected to be introduced by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kansas ) this month.

H/T: The Hill

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