Mark Kirk

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mark Kirk
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 10th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2001
Preceded by	John Porter
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Kimberly Vertolli (2001-2009) (divorced)[1]
Residence	Highland Park, Illinois[2]
Alma mater	Cornell University, London School of Economics, Georgetown University Law Center
Occupation	attorney, politician
Religion	United Church of Christ[3]
Military service
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1989-present
Unit	Reserves

Mark Steven Kirk (born September 15, 1959) has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing Illinois's 10th congressional district. Kirk is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010.

[edit] Early life and education

Kirk was born in Champaign, Illinois, graduated from Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, a Chicago suburb, in 1973, and New Trier East High School in 1977. He attended the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México before graduating cum laude in history from Cornell University. Kirk received a master's degree from the London School of Economics, and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Kirk was commissioned in 1989 as an intelligence officer in the Naval Reserve. He is one of only two members of Congress serving as a drilling reservist one weekend a month and two weeks a year. In the Navy, Kirk served during conflicts with Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo. He served aboard USS Normandy and USS John C Stennis. Kirk also served three tours in Panama. ^[4]

[edit] Career prior to election to Congress

Kirk worked on the staff of his predecessor, Congressman John Porter, and eventually became his chief of staff. Kirk then worked at the World Bank (1990) before President George H. W. Bush named him as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.^{[citation needed]} President Bill Clinton reappointed Kirk to work in his Administration on the restoration of democracy in Haiti.^{[citation needed]}

Kirk then practiced law with Baker & McKenzie (1993–94) before being named as a Counsel to the House International Relations Committee.

[edit] Personal life

Kirk finalized his divorce from his wife, Kimberly Vertolli, in the summer of 2009.^[5][6]

[edit] U.S. House of Representatives

[edit] Election and re-elections

Kirk defeated 10 candidates for Congress in the 2000 Republican primary. He then won in general elections with 51% (2000), 69% (2002), 64% (2004), 53% (2006) and 54% (2008). His opponents were Lauren Beth Gash, Hank Perrit, Lee Goodman and, most recently, Dan Seals (06 & 08).

In 2008, Kirk defeated Democratic challenger Dan Seals by a six-point margin.

[edit] Committee assignments

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
  • Subcommittee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

[edit] Political actions and positions

On his Congressional campaign website, Kirk stated that he works to advance a suburban agenda that is pro-defense, pro-personal responsibility, pro-environment, and pro-science. He also claims that he wrote a number of provisions which became law, including funding for commuter rail, improving veteran's health care, ensuring military voting, and boosting aviation security.^[7]

Kirk was one of over 150 co-sponsors on H.R. 810, the Stem Cell bill, which passed the House in 2005 but never became law.

Kirk is co-chair of the Moderate Republican "Tuesday Group", a coalition of 40 centrist Republican Member of Congress. ^[8] Kirk is a member of some moderate to liberal Republican groups such as the Republican Main Street Partnership, the Republican Majority for Choice, Republicans for Choice, the Republican Leadership Council, and Republicans for Environmental Protection.

On November 5, 2005, while speaking at Northwestern University, Kirk was asked how he felt about stricter visa policies applied to Arab foreign nationals seeking entry to the United States. Kirk answered: "I'm okay with discrimination against young Arab males from terrorist-producing states. I'm okay with that. I think that when we look at the threat that's out there, young men between, say, the ages of 18 and 25 from a couple of countries, I believe a certain amount of intense scrutiny should be placed on them."^[9][10] He said that the statement was "politically uncomfortable", and later issued a statement to clarify his position on the issue: "We need to strengthen our visa entry process to guard against the threat, and we need intense scrutiny on applicants from terrorist producing countries," Kirk said. "Ignoring that reality would only do a disservice to our country's security."^[11]

Kirk has spoken out about protecting children on the Internet and has introduced bills to require parental permission for certain networking sites such as Second Life.^[12] In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act that would ban online poker.^[13] and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.^[14]

Kirk has consistently supported increases in "Impact Aid" for government school districts that have children of military personnel as students. ^[15]

[edit] 2007

In July 2007, he proposed what he sees as a long term solution to the problem of Mexican immigration: shipping condoms to poor area of Mexico: "A slower rate of growth of Mexico's population would improve the economy of Mexico. It would also reduce the environmental pressure on Mexico's ecosystem. But a slower rate of growth would also reduce the long-term illegal immigration pressure on America's borders"^[16]

[edit] 2008

Kirk was endorsed for reelection by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times,^[17] Lake County News Sun,^[18] the Pioneer Press,^[19] the Daily Herald and the Jewish Political Alliance of Illinois.

On a June 18th radio show, Kirk stated that "if we see Obama there's a shoot-on-sight order". He seems to have meant "Osama" and misspoke. The next day, Kirk apologized to Senator Obama for the statement. ^[20]

[edit] 2009

On April 15, Kirk suggested the people of Illinois would shoot any politician who suggested raising taxes by 50 percent. ^[21]

On January 6, Kirk returned to Illinois after completing a tour of duty in Kandahar, Afghanistan; a press release on his official web site touted the occasion as "the first time a U.S. Representative-reservist has deployed to an imminent danger area since World War II".^[22] Kirk appeared on the Fox News Channel for an interview upon returning to the U.S.^[23]

In June, Kirk made a trip to China to engage in independent foreign diplomacy without the endorsement of the executive branch, an act that is reserved for executive branch officials. On this trip, Kirk contradicted the Obama administration on the US-China relationship by stating that "the budget numbers that the US government has put forward should not be believed." ^[24]

Kirk recently held a press conference with Congressman Peter Roskam on critical legislation they introduced to strengthen food safety laws in the wake of tainted food supplies.

On February 13 Kirk offered a resolution on the subject of the trial of the Iranian Bahá'í leadership co-sponsored by seven others in H. RES. 175 - "Condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights" which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.^[25] The situation has gathered international attention including defense of Nobel Laureate attorney Shirin Ebadi in June^[26] after she received threats in April warning her against making speeches abroad, and defending Iran's minority Baha'i community^[27] - see Arrest of Bahá'í leaders.

In June 2009 Kirk introduced legislation to increase the penalties for selling kush, a high potency set of strains of marijuana.^[28] The High-Potency Marijuana Sentencing Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2848)^[29] increases the penalties for the possession with intent to distribute, manufacture, importation and exportation to maximum fines of $1 million for an individual and $5 million for a group, with a maximum sentence of 25 years from the standard sentencing for marijuana which calls for a maximum fine of $250,000 for an individual, $1 million for a group and up to five years in prison.^[30] Kirk said that as kush may sell for up to $600 (USD) per ounce these increases in penalties are justified, saying that "if you can make as much money selling pot as cocaine, you should face the same penalties."^[30]

On July 8, 2009 reports spread that Kirk would be seeking Barack Obama's old Senate seat in 2010. The story broke just hours after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced she would not run.

On July 13, 2009, Kirk's chief rival for the Republican Senate nomination, the state's party chairman Andrew "Andy" McKenna, Jr., issued this statement: "I reassured Mark that if he chooses to be a candidate, I will not oppose him." Kirk's nomination is now effectively uncontested.^[31]

On July 20, 2009, Kirk announced his candidacy for Barack Obama's old Senate seat (currently held by Roland Burris). During his announcement while hundreds cheered him on with large banners at his childhood home where he first declared that he was running for Congress, Kirk was heckled by a few protesters who shouted "Health care now!" He responded with, "I can see from the crowd here that the Democratic Party appears to be very worried about me, which is why they're here."^[32]

On August 24, 2009, Kirk held two back-to-back town hall meetings in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Kirk admitted that some health reform is needed, but claimed that instead of the US having 45.7 million uninsured, as some believe, (likely sourced from the 2007 US Census numbers ^[33]) the real number was closer to 7.8 million uninsured.^[34][35] The Chicago Tribune and other news media questioned his statistics.^[36]

[edit] Contributors

Kirk accepted $1000 from Tony Rezko,^[37][38] who has been convicted on federal charges of attempted extortion, money laundering, and fraud.^[39] According to the Federal Election Commission, Kirk for Congress refunded this contribution in the form of a donation to the MIdwest Young Artists on October 19, 2006.^[40]

Mark Kirk received a donation from Congressman Bob Ney, who pled guilty to bribery. ^[41] Kirk was called upon to return the tainted money. ^[42] Kirk refunded the Ney contribution in the 2nd quarter of 2006.^{[citation needed]}

FEC records show Kirk received financial support from Americans for a Republican Majority, a PAC formed by Tom DeLay.^[43] According to the Federal Election Commission, Kirk for Congress refunded the contribution on July 27, 2004 ^[44]

In June 2009, the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs reported that Kirk received $91,200 from pro-Israel lobbying groups in the 2008 election cycle, the most of any member of the House of Representatives during the 2008 election cycle.^[45]

[edit] Campaign for Senate

On July 20, 2009, Kirk announced that he would be running for the senate seat formerly held by President Barack Obama. This came shortly after Democrats Roland Burris and Lisa Madigan announced that they would not be running.^[46]

Other Republican candidates that have officially announced their campaign in 2010 are Patrick Hughes, John Arrington, Donald Lowery, Andy Martin, and Robert Zadek.

[edit] Electoral history

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• http://www.gopchoice.org/
• http://www.republicansforchoice.com/
• http://www.repamerica.org/
• http://www.rep.org/AboutREP/HonBoard.html
• http://www.republicanmainstreet.org/

[edit] External links

• U.S. Congressman Mark Kirk, House site
• Kirk for Senate, Campaign site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
• Congressional profile at GovTrack.us
• Profile from SourceWatch Congresspedia