Mark Kirk

Mark Steven Kirk (b. September 15, 1959, in Champaign, IL) is a former Republican member of the U.S. Senate from the state of Illinois. Kirk served from 2010 to 2017. He was first elected to the Senate on November 2, 2010, winning a special election to serve the final weeks of President Barack Obama's Senate term, in addition to winning a regular six-year term that began on January 3, 2011.^[1]

Kirk lost his re-election bid in 2016.^[2] Kirk was defeated by Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Illinois' U.S. Senate race was rated as a battleground in 2016.

Kirk had a stroke on January 21, 2012, and as a result was unable to work while recovering. He missed all 189 roll-call votes in the Senate in 2012.^[3] On November 4, 2013, Kirk gave his first speech since suffering the stroke in January 2012, in which he urged support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to ban workplace discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender workers.^[4]

Kirk previously was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2010.^[5]

Biography

Born in Champaign, IL, he graduated from Cornell University, London School of Economics, and Georgetown University Law Center. He practiced law throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He joined the United States Navy Reserve in 1989 and was recalled to active duty for the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. He participated in Operation Northern Watch in Iraq the following year. He remains a member of the U.S Navy Reserve, now holding the rank of Commander.

Kirk was elected to the House in 2000. During his fifth term in November 2010 he won a special election to finish the final months of former Senator Barack Obama's term and he began a six-year Senate term beginning in 2011.^[1]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Kirk's academic, professional, and political career:^[6]

• 2010-2017: U.S. Senator from Illinois
• 2001-2010: U.S. House of Representatives
• 1989-2013: United States Navy, Commander

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2015-2016

Kirk served on the following committees:^[7]

• Special Committee on Aging
• Appropriations Committee
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, Chairman
  • Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
  • Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
• Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
  • Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance, Chairman
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
• Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
  • Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security

2013-2014

Kirk served on the following Senate committees:^[8][9]

• Appropriations Committee
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
• Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment
  • Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development
• Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  • Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
• United States Senate Special Committee on Aging

2011-2012

• United States Senate Committee on Appropriations^[10]
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
  • Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
• Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee^[1]
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
  • Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
• Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee^[1]
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
• United States Senate Special Committee on Aging^[1]

Key votes

114th Congress

The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.^[11][12] The Senate confirmed 18,117 out of 21,815 executive nominations received (83 percent). For more information pertaining to Kirk's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.^[13]

Economic and fiscal

Trade Act of 2015

See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015

On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). TPA, also known as fast track authority, allows the president to negotiate trade deals that cannot be amended by Congress. Congress casts a simple up or down vote on a trade agreement, and the legislation only requires a simple majority for approval. The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Kirk voted with 47 other Republican senators to approve the bill.^[14][15]
Trade promotion authority
On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Kirk was one of 47 Republicans to vote in favor of the bill. After, Senate Republican leadership honored a pledge to support trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by passing the measure as part of HR 1295 - Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 by voice vote. The House passed HR 1295 the following day, on June 25, 2015, and both TPA and TAA were signed into law on June 29, 2015.^[16][17][18]

2016 Budget proposal

On May 5, 2015, the Senate voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 51-48. The non-binding resolution will be used to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. The vote marked the first time since 2009 that Congress approved a joint budget resolution. All 44 Democrats voted against the resolution. Kirk voted with 50 other Republican senators to approve the bill.^[19][20][21]

On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed S 1356 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 91-3. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included "$5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget" and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison.^[22][23] Kirk voted with 47 Republicans, 42 Democrats and one independent to approve the bill.^[24] On November 5, 2015, the House passed the bill by a vote of 370-58, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.^[25]

On June 18, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1735 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 71-25. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Kirk voted with 48 Republicans, 21 Democrats and one Independent to approve the bill.^[26] The House passed the bill on May 15, 2015.^[27] President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.^[28]

2015 budget

On October 30, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 by a vote of 64-35. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017.^[29] Kirk voted with 17 Republicans, 44 Democrats and two independents in favor of the bill.^[30] It passed the House on October 28, 2015.^[31] President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015.

Foreign Affairs

Iran nuclear deal

See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015

On May 7, 2015, the Senate voted to approve HR 1191 - A bill to provide for congressional review and oversight of agreements relating to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes, by a vote of 98-1. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Kirk voted with 52 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Senator Tom Cotton (Ark.) was the only Republican who voted against the bill.^[32][33]

Hire More Heroes Act of 2015
On September 10, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 58-42.^[34] Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Kirk voted with 53 other Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval.^[35]

Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 follow up votes
On September 15, 2015, the Senate voted for a second time to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 56-42.^[36] Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Kirk voted with 51 Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval.^[37] The legislation was voted on for a third time on September 17, and it failed for a third time by a vote of 56-42.^[38]

Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 fourth vote
On September 17, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster a vote on S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640 by a vote of 53-45. The amendment proposed prohibiting "the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran."^[39] Kirk voted with 51 Republicans and one Democrat to proceed to the amendment.^[40]

Domestic

USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

On June 2, 2015, the Senate passed HR 2048 - the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 by a vote of 67-32. The legislation revised HR 3199 - the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 by terminating the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Kirk voted with 22 Republicans, 43 Democrats and one Independent to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.^[41][42]

Loretta Lynch AG nomination

On April 23, 2015, the Senate voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as United States Attorney General by a vote of 56-43. All 44 Democratic senators voted to confirm Lynch. Kirk voted with nine other Republican senators to confirm Lynch.^[43]

Cyber security

On October 27, 2015, the Senate passed S 754 - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74-21.^[44] The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Kirk voted with 42 Republicans, 30 Democrats and one independent in favor of the bill.^[45]

Immigration

On October 20, 2015, the Senate voted against proceeding to a vote on S 2146 - the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act by a vote of 54-45. The bill proposed withholding federal funding from "sanctuary jurisdictions" that violate the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and other federal immigration laws. In addition, the bill proposed increasing "penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the United States after being removed" and providing "liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Federal law enforcement."^[46] Kirk voted with 42 Democrats and two Independents against proceeding to the bill.^[47]

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.^[48] The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Kirk's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.^[49]

National security

John Brennan CIA nomination

Kirk voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.^[50]

Economy

Farm bill

On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.^[51] It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.^[52] Kirk joined with 19 other Republican senators in favor of the bill.

2014 Budget

On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.^[53][54] The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill.^[54] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.^[55] It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts. Kirk voted with the 17 Republican and the 55 Democratic members in favor of the bill.^[53][54]

Government shutdown

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.^[56] The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Kirk voted with the Democratic Party for the bill.^[57]

No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013

Kirk voted against H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.^[50]

Immigration

Mexico-U.S. border

Kirk voted for Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.^[50]

Violence Against Women (2013)

Kirk voted for S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.^[50]

Background checks on gun sales

On April 17, 2013, the U.S. Senate took a vote on and defeated a measure that would have expanded federal background checks for firearms purchases.^[58] The vote was 54-46, with supporters falling six votes short of the required 60-vote threshold.^[59] Kirk was one of the 4 Republican Senators who voted in favor of the measure.^[60]

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Kirk did not cast a vote regarding the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.^[61]

Issues

National security

Letter to Iran

On March 9, 2015, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) wrote a letter to Iran's leadership, warning them that signing a nuclear deal with the Obama administration without congressional approval constituted only an executive agreement. The letter also stated that "The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time." The letter was signed by 47 Republican members of the Senate. Kirk was one of the 47 who signed the letter. No Democrats signed it.^[62]

Members of the Obama administration and of Congress reacted to the letter.^[63] Vice President Joe Biden said of the letter, "In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which senators wrote directly to advise another country — much less a longtime foreign adversary — that the president does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them."^[64]

Gay marriage

Kirk became the second Republican Senator to speak out in favor of gay marriage in April 2013.^[65] He followed Rob Portman (R) of Ohio, who announced his support of same-sex marriage in August 2014.^[65]

In a statement on April 2, 2013, Kirk stated, "“When I climbed the Capitol steps in January, I promised myself that I would return to the Senate with an open mind and greater respect for others. Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage. Our time on this earth is limited, I know that better than most. Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back— government has no place in the middle.”^[66]

Illness

Kirk had a stroke on January 21, 2012, and as a result was unable to work while recovering. He missed all 189 roll-call votes in the Senate in 2012.^[67]

Presidential preference

2016

See also: Republicans and their declared positions on Donald Trump and Republican reactions to 2005 Trump tape

• On October 8, 2016, Kirk called for Trump to withdraw from the race after The Washington Post released a 2005 video of Trump making comments about women that were described as "extremely lewd."^[68]

• .@realDonaldTrump should drop out. @GOP should engage rules for emergency replacement.

  — Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) October 8, 2016

• On June 7, 2016, Kirk withdrew his support for Trump in the following statement:

• In March 2016, Kirk offered his support for Donald Trump, but he did not endorse Trump. Kirk said he "certainly would" support Trump as the party’s nominee.^[71]

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Mark Kirk endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.^[72]

Elections

2016

See also: United States Senate election in Illinois, 2016

The race for Illinois' U.S. Senate seat was one of nine competitive battleground races in 2016. U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D) defeated incumbent Mark Kirk (R)—who was seeking re-election to his second term—Kenton McMillen (L), and Scott Summers (G) in the general election on November 8, 2016.

In her victory speech, Duckworth said, “Tonight, we showed a campaign that respects voters and is focused on practical solutions rather than shopworn slogans can be successful. We showed that a relentless focus on rebuilding Illinois’ middle class and respecting hard worth rather than wealth can be successful, too.”^[73]

During his concession speech, Kirk said, "What unites us as Americans is much stronger than what divides us." Kirk also invited Duckworth to have a beer with him as a peace offering. He said, “This beer summit with [sic] show kids across Illinois that opponents can peacfully [sic] bury the hatchet.”^[73][74]

Numerous analysts labeled Kirk the most vulnerable GOP incumbent in 2016 due to Illinois' tendency to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats during presidential election cycles. Kirk faced significant opposition from national Democrats who targeted Illinois as an essential seat needed to regain the majority in the U.S. Senate. Democrats picked up two seats in Election Day, but they fell short of the five seats that they needed to take control of the Senate.^[75]

Party	Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Tammy Duckworth	54.9%	3,012,940
	Republican	Mark Kirk Incumbent	39.8%	2,184,692
	Libertarian	Kenton McMillen	3.2%	175,988
	Green	Scott Summers	2.1%	117,619
	N/A	Write-in	0%	639
Total Votes	5,491,878
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mark Kirk Incumbent	70.6%	931,619
James Marter	29.4%	388,571
Total Votes	1,320,190
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Tammy Duckworth	64.4%	1,220,128
Andrea Zopp	24%	455,729
Napoleon Harris	11.6%	219,286
Total Votes	1,895,143
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

2010

On November 2, 2010, Kirk won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Alexander "Alexi" Giannoulias (D), LeAlan M. Jones (G), Mike Labno (L), Robert L. "Bob" Zadek (I), Will Boyd (I), Corey Dabney (I), Susanne Atanus (I), Shon-Tiyon "Santiago" Horton (I), Avner Nager (I), Stan Jagla (I), Darren Raichart (I), and Lowell M. Seida (I) in the general election.^[76]

U.S. Senate, Illinois General Election, 2010
Party	Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mark Steve Kirk	48%	1,778,698
	Democratic	Alexander "Alexi" Giannoulias	46.4%	1,719,478
	Green	LeAlan M. Jones	3.2%	117,914
	Libertarian	Mike Labno	2.4%	87,247
	Independent	Robert L. "Bob" Zadek	0%	561
	Independent	Will Boyd	0%	468
	Independent	Corey Dabney	0%	33
	Independent	Susanne Atanus	0%	19
	Independent	Shon-Tiyon "Santiago" Horton	0%	16
	Independent	Avner Nager	0%	15
	Independent	Stan Jagla	0%	12
	Independent	Darren Raichart	0%	9
	Independent	Lowell M. Seida	0%	3
Total Votes	3,704,473

Campaign themes

2016

The following issues were listed on Kirk's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Kirk's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $251,002 and $515,000. That averages to $383,001, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican senators in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Kirk ranked as the 88th most wealthy senator in 2012.^[77] Between 2004 and 2012, Kirk's calculated net worth^[78] decreased by an average of 5 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.^[79]

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Kirk received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Retired industry.

From 1999-2014, 33.13 percent of Kirk's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.^[82]

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Kirk was a "centrist Republican," as of July 22, 2014. This was the same rating Kirk received in June 2013.^[83]

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.^[84]

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Mark Kirk missed 337 of 1,460 roll call votes from November 2010 to September 2015. This amounts to 23.1 percent, which is worse than the median of 1.6 percent among current senators as of September 2015.^[85]

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

2011

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Kirk paid his congressional staff a total of $2,451,707 in 2011. He ranked 25th on the list of the lowest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked 34th overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Illinois ranked 9th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.^[86]

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year.

2013

Kirk ranked 36th in the conservative rankings in 2013.^[87]

2011

Kirk ranked 43rd in the conservative rankings in 2011.^[88]

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Kirk voted with the Republican Party 72.7 percent of the time, which ranked 43rd among the 45 Senate Republican members as of July 2014.^[89]

2013

Kirk voted with the Republican Party 73.8 percent of the time, which ranked 44th among the 46 Senate Republican members as of June 2013.^[90]

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Mark + Kirk + Illinois + Senate

See also

• Illinois
• U.S. Senate delegation from Illinois
• United States Senate
• United States Senate elections, 2014

External links

• Collected news and commentary by Lynn Sweet at the Chicago Sun-Times
• Collected news and commentary at the Chicago Tribune plus featured articles

Footnotes

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