[Senate Document 114-21]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
TRIBUTES TO HON. MARK KIRK
Mark Kirk
U.S. SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Mark Kirk
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Mark Kirk
United States Congressman
2001-2010
United States Senator
2010-2017
a
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell Address......................................
vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Boozman, John, of Arkansas.....................
18
Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland...............
15
Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
12
Cornyn, John, of Texas.........................
9
Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
3, 7
Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
11
Feinstein, Dianne, of California...............
8
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
14
Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
13
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
9
McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
5, 14
Peters, Gary C., of Michigan...................
17
Portman, Rob, of Ohio..........................
18
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
8
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Champaign, IL, Senator Kirk graduated from
Winnetka's New Trier High School and attended Blackburn
College and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
before earning a B.A. (cum laude) in history from Cornell
University. Senator Kirk also earned a master's degree
from the London School of Economics and a law degree from
Georgetown University, and served as an intelligence
officer in the Navy Reserve from 1989 until 2013, when he
retired with the rank of commander.
Senator Kirk worked as a staff member for Congressman
John Porter before moving to work at the World Bank and
later the State Department. He practiced law at Baker &
McKenzie before serving as a counsel to the House
International Relations Committee. In 2000, Mark was
elected to the House of Representatives where he served
five terms before his election to the U.S. Senate.
In January 2012, Senator Kirk suffered an ischemic
stroke and underwent surgeries at Northwestern Memorial
Hospital to relieve swelling in his brain. After nearly a
year of intensive recovery and rehabilitation, Senator
Kirk triumphantly returned to work by climbing the 45
steps of the U.S. Capitol on January 3, 2013. Friends and
colleagues from both sides of the aisle cheered as Senator
Kirk walked up the Capitol steps. Senator Kirk reflected
that his return to the Senate was one of the greatest
moments of his life.
Senator Kirk served on four Senate Committees:
Appropriations, Banking, HELP (Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions), and Aging. Senator Kirk was chairman of the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs as well as the Banking Subcommittee on
National Security and International Trade and Finance.
Farewell to the Senate
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be
allowed to have a prop with me.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I rise here in the Chamber to
give my last speech in the Senate. I want to describe some
experiences I have had that are at the heart of my service
in the Congress.
As a staffer, I worked for the House International
Relations Committee and for Chairman Benjamin Gilman. He
had been asked by Cardinal John O'Connor of New York to
investigate the plight of Catholics in northern Bosnia.
From that assignment, I went to northern Bosnia to meet
with Bishop Komanic, who started out the meeting in a very
difficult fashion.
He started by saying, ``Am I a human? Am I a human? Am
I?''
I said, ``Yes, you are.''
He said, ``You foreign delegations always don't do
anything for me.''
I said to Bishop Komanic, ``Please give me one task
that I can take on for you.''
He said, ``If there is one thing I need, it is to get
my human rights office head, Father Tomislava Matanovic--
who was recently captured by a very notorious criminal,
the police chief of Prijedor, Bosnia, who was infamous for
starting the first concentration camp in Europe after
1945.'' It was called the Omarska Camp. The man who ran
this place was named Simo Drljaca. He pushed 700 bodies
down the shaft of this mine. In this work, he had probably
captured the priest I wanted, Tomislava Matanovic.
When I went back to the States, as a reservist, I
ransacked the DOD databases. We found from intelligence
reports that we suspected this police chief of Prijedor
had been the kidnaper of Tomislava Matanovic. I went to
the CIA and asked to meet with this man so I could urge
him to give this priest back to me. When Simo Drljaca met
with me, he gave me this memento of Serbia. It has the
markings of St. George slaying a dragon, with a date of
1994, and various Serbian markings.
After I learned so much about Simo Drljaca, I asked the
Clinton administration to make sure they could indict him
for war crimes, crimes against humanity, to make sure we
could eventually bring him down.
When the Bosnian secret police brought him to me, he
gave me this memento, which I have kept under my desk. He
gave that to me hoping maybe he would not get picked up.
Luckily, the Clinton administration had decided to pick
him up. They had a typically obscure DOD acronym to cover
the status of this kind of person. They called them PIFWC,
persons indicted for war crimes.
Eventually we got an operation together to arrest Simo
Drljaca, and the British Special Air Service carried it
out. When they waited for Simo, they waited by a riverbank
for him to do his Sunday fishing with his son.
An officer had painstakingly memorized the Serbian's
arrest record and indictment so he could read it to
Drljaca in his British accent. When he started reading the
indictment, Drljaca reached down into his fishing tackle
box and shot the British arresting officer. Luckily, the
British officer did survive, was wearing body armor. When
that shot rang out, the security team across from the
river put several rounds into Drljaca's chest. He dropped
dead right there at the beach.
After I heard about this, I was so proud to be part of
this congressional team and to still be an officer in the
U.S. Navy.
I will say that this institution, and the U.S. military
that has given rise from the appropriations we have given,
is the greatest force for human dignity that has ever been
put forward. I was so proud we brought this monster to
justice. The guy who put together the first concentration
camp in Europe had been stopped, and he could no longer
hurt anyone. This memento has been underneath my desk here
in the Senate ever since to remind me of the basic human
values that we share so dear--that we have here. I would
say the United States is now the greatest force for human
dignity that we have ever seen. To make sure those values
continue has been at the heart of my service here in the
Senate and in the Congress.
Let me conclude by thanking some critical people.
I thank Congressman John Porter for hiring me back in
1984, when I started my service here in the Congress;
Chairman Ben Gilman of New York for putting me on that
international committee; the people of the 10th
Congressional District of Illinois who first sent me to
the House and the people of Illinois who also sent me to
represent their State here; all the family and friends who
put me here: Karen Garber and Michael Morgan, especially
Dodie McCracken, who was always at my side--people who
wanted to make sure we had a person of thoughtful,
independent values who could serve here in the Congress.
To conclude, I want to give a message to the people of
Illinois. For the people of Illinois, I would say: Take
heart, Illinois, that you come from one of the most
industrious States in the Union, the fifth largest
industrial State.
Especially after the problems we had with Governor
Blagojevich, we have been a little down in the dumps.
A lot of times, I will pull out my iPhone and ask
people in the State the same question: Who invented the
iPhone, the cell phone? The answer is, Martin Cooper from
Winnetka, IL. On the top of the iPhone is a transmitter,
and I remind us that the first cell phone call in the
world was made from the 50 yard line of Soldier Field in
Chicago. That trillion-dollar industry started right in
the middle of our State. That, we should always remember.
Lots of times when I am giving this speech, I will say:
If it weren't for the people of Illinois, a lot of the
people you know would be missing teeth, because we
invented modern dentistry with GV Black in Jacksonville,
and our houses would not be so clean, because we invented
the vacuum cleaner.
People on the southwest side of Chicago say: ``Kirk,
tell them that we invented the zipper''--which they did.
People in Peoria will say, ``Hey, remind them that we
invented the electric blanket.'' And they did.
From the electric blanket to the vacuum cleaner and the
cell phone, the people of Illinois have been so
innovative.
Now we have a unique time in history. I can safely say
without contradiction here in the Senate that the Chicago
Cubs are now the World Series champions. As I have said so
many times, any professional baseball team can have a bad
century, but we have finally killed the curse of the goat
and all the curses that befell our professional baseball
team.
I would say take heart, Illinois. You are so inventive
that you produce most of the pumpkins in the country. When
we sit down to Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, that is 80
percent Illinois.
Mr. President, with that, I yield the remainder of my
time to the victor of the Illinois Senate race, Senator-
elect Tammy Duckworth.
TRIBUTES
TO
MARK KIRK
Proceedings in the Senate
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, on January 3, there will be a
new Senate sworn in. Members come down this aisle, to be
sworn in over here by the Vice President of the United
States, to become Members of the U.S. Senate. It will be
the passing of the Senate seat in our State from Senator
Mark Kirk to Senator-elect Tammy Duckworth. I would like
to say a few words about my colleague Mark Kirk.
For the last 6 years, Mark and I have had a very
positive professional relationship. The night he won the
election, I was standing with his opponent Alexi
Giannoulias when Alexi made the call to Mark Kirk to
congratulate him. Mark asked that I take the phone, and I
did.
He said, ``I want to work with you. I know we just
competed against one another in the election, but we now
have a responsibility together to represent the State of
Illinois,'' and we started a positive working
relationship--a relationship based on mutual respect. One
of the things we did was to continue a tradition.
Since 1985, my mentor and colleague in the House, and my
predecessor in the Senate, Paul Simon of Illinois, started
a Thursday morning breakfast, inviting people from
Illinois who were in Washington and those who wish they
were from Illinois, to come in for free coffee and donuts
at no taxpayer expense. It was an hour-long public meeting
so we could talk about what was happening in the Senate
and then answer any questions and pose for pictures if
they wanted them. I asked Mark Kirk to continue this, even
though we were of opposite political faith, and we did,
for a long time. We worked together to make sure the
people of Illinois felt welcomed. We often took differing
views on issues--that is understandable--but we did it in
a civil way. People said they thought it was one of the
highlights of their trip to see two Senators from two
different parties working together. We did--and not just
on those Thursday mornings. We found reasons to do it on
the floor.
In the vast majority of cases, when it came to filling
Federal judicial vacancies, Mark Kirk and I worked
together to agree. Rarely did we disagree on those who
needed to be chosen. As a result, we have had a pretty
good record of filling vacancies in the State of Illinois.
Then, of course, it was in 2012 that a disaster struck
and Mark Kirk suffered a stroke. It was almost a life-
ending experience. He is lucky to be alive today. He knows
it, and we all know it too. I primarily kept in touch with
his staff, and with him, during the course of his
rehabilitation after that stroke. It was a calendar year
he had to give to rehabilitation, to learn how to walk
again and speak again and do the basic things we take for
granted. It was an extraordinary show of courage and
determination on his part.
Finally, before he could return to the Senate, I visited
with him and saw him some 10 months after the stroke and
realized the devastation he weathered and how much he had
managed to recover because of his sheer determination. The
one thing he told me, though, was that he was determined
to come back to the U.S. Senate and walk up those steps
right into the Senate Chamber. He was working every single
day on treadmills and with rehab experts to reach that day
when he could get out of a car and walk up those steps. He
asked me if I would ask other Senators to join him--
especially his close friend Joe Manchin, a Democratic
Senator from West Virginia, and we did. That day came and
it was an amazing day. He started at the bottom of those
steps and worked his way up, all the way into the Senate
Chamber, to the applause of his colleagues--Democrats and
Republicans--all the way up those steps. We realized what
an amazing recovery he had made.
Our colleague Tim Johnson of the State of South Dakota
had gone through a similar devastating experience. Mark
Kirk said many times, when he was about to give up, he
thought, Tim Johnson got back to the Senate. I can get
back there if I work hard enough. He did just that.
He was an exceptional colleague of mine in the Senate.
There were a lot of things we agreed on. One of them was
Lake Michigan. As a Congressman from the 10th
Congressional District, which is on the shores of Lake
Michigan, he was always committed to that lake.
After the election, when the results didn't come out as
he wished, I sat down with him and asked, ``Mark, what do
you want me to do in memory of your commitment to public
service?''
He said, ``Do everything you can to protect Lake
Michigan.'' I am going to. I asked his successor Tammy
Duckworth to join me in that effort, and we will in his
name and in his memory.
I thank him for the service he has given to our State,
the service he has given our Nation as an officer in the
Navy Reserve, and for the years he put in as a staff
member to Congressman John Porter, for the work he did in
the House of Representatives representing the 10th
Congressional District, and for his term in the U.S.
Senate. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve with
him. Despite our political differences, I count him as a
friend, as an ally, and as a true champion for the State
of Illinois.
I wish my colleague Mark Kirk the very best in his
future endeavors.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, Senator Mark Kirk has
never been one to be intimidated by a challenge. He is
willing to work hard even when the going gets tough. He
never shies away from a tough debate, and he always comes
prepared. He has been defying the odds for a long time and
inspiring others along the way.
Nearly 5 years ago, Senator Kirk suffered a debilitating
stroke--one that threatened to end his Senate service
nearly as soon as it had begun. In the blink of an eye,
Mark Kirk went from juggling constituent meetings and
committee hearings to lying in a hospital bed wondering if
he would ever walk again or talk again or read again.
If Senator Kirk had decided to just quit the Senate and
focus on his recovery, no one would have blamed him. But
he didn't do that. He never lost hope. He never gave up.
He set his sights on getting back to work for the people
of Illinois and the Nation. That is exactly what he did.
We were there to witness his triumph several months
later. Cane in hand, a smile on his face, Joe Manchin to
one side, Joe Biden to the other, one foot in front of the
other, Senator Mark Kirk climbed and climbed and climbed.
He ascended each of those 45 Capitol steps to the top of
this Chamber as we all cheered him on.
Mark could rest assured no one was going to let him fall
that day. Senator Manchin could rest assured that he
wouldn't have to go another day waiting for his buddy to
return.
Days after Mark's stroke, Senator Manchin hopped on a
flight to Chicago to check on his friend in person. He saw
first hand the many challenges Kirk had to overcome in
recovery. But he never doubted Mark's will, determination,
or desire to get back to work.
``Mark Kirk,'' he said, ``is like the Energizer Bunny.
He just keeps going and going and going.''
Senator Manchin and Senator Kirk might seem like an
unconventional pair. One is a Democrat, the other a
Republican. The West Virginian is an outdoorsman, the
Illinois Senator is a gamer. Senator Manchin is a
mountaineer, and Senator Kirk ascends skyscrapers.
But as the senior Senator from West Virginia put it,
they ``just clicked from day one'' and quickly became the
best of friends. Now they go boating together. They meet
for lunch nearly every Thursday. They support each other.
The support of good friends like Senator Manchin has been
critical to Senator Kirk's dramatic recovery.
He has found support in other places, too, including the
mailbox. A few weeks after his stroke, Jackson, a 9-year-
old fellow stroke survivor from Illinois, wrote Senator
Kirk to share his own story and some words of
encouragement. ``Do not give up on yourself,'' Jackson
wrote. ``All the hard work is worth it.''
``P.S.,'' he said, ``I think kids should get paid to go
to school.''
The pair quickly became pen pals and even picked up a
new joint sport of tower climbing in their rehabilitation.
Senator Kirk calls Jackson his personal hero. Last year,
he invited him to visit Washington and be his guest at the
State of the Union. To hear Senator Kirk tell it, he may
have never made it back for that address at all without
Jackson's support and kind words.
I know the support he received from his fellow home
State Senator didn't go unnoticed either. After Mark's
stroke, Senator Durbin visited his staff, offering to help
out however he could.
Senator Kirk's story reminds us that the Senate can be
more than just a place of work, it can actually be a
family. In his own words, ``The things that divide us in
politics are infinitesimal compared with the dignity of
our common humanity.'' It is a powerful message, and I
think it is one we can all learn from.
Senator Kirk said that America's men and women in
uniform represent ``the greatest force for human dignity
on Earth.'' He is right. The work he has done to help us
meet the obligation our Nation has to military families
and our veterans will endure beyond his term.
Mark Kirk, a veteran himself, understands the sacrifices
our servicemembers and their families make each day on our
behalf. He knows they deserve our full support, not only
when they are on Active Duty but also after their tours
are complete.
That is why he has worked to help guarantee the quality
of health care that our heroes are counting on. It is why
he has worked to help eliminate corruption within the VA
so that our veterans receive timely care as well.
He has proven himself as a leader on national security
issues too. He understands the value of our alliances and
worked to strengthen them, especially with Israel.
He has a clear-eyed view of our adversaries too and has
never been afraid to speak out or take action, from North
Korea to Iran. When it comes to Iran specifically, Senator
Kirk was the tip of the spear on this issue, bringing
attention to the threat of Iran's aggressive behavior and
pushing for legislation to help hold Tehran accountable.
He has long been an advocate for critical Iran sanctions
like those extended just this past week, even when the
administration pushed back and even when Democratic
colleagues pushed back too. He doesn't back down, and
thanks to efforts like his, we were able to see the
legislation through.
So, yes, Senator Kirk may be leaving the Senate, but he
has cast a long shadow here. He is not done yet. We know
he will not stop looking out for our country. We know he
will not stop advocating for stroke survivors. We know he
is not going to stop. He will just keep going and going
and going as he always has.
Senator Kirk reminds each of us that it is possible to
persevere through even the most difficult of obstacles
life presents. So, today, we thank him for the impact he
has made on this body, for the inspiration he has been to
so many, and for the years he has dedicated to serving the
people of Illinois.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, let me say at the outset
that I took the floor last week and said a few words in
tribute and friendship to my colleague, Senator Kirk. I am
glad to hear the majority leader's statement this morning.
It was spot on, and it captured his public spirit, as well
as his personal strength, that has brought him to this
moment in history. I have been honored to serve with him
for the last 6 years.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor our
colleagues who are leaving us at the end of this Congress,
six individuals who have done a lot to shape how the
Senate operates today.
First I would like to thank my three Republican
colleagues who are departing. Thank you not only for your
service to our country but your willingness to work with
me and other members of my party on a number of issues.
Mr. President, Senator Mark Kirk took a brave stance on
gun violence issues, bucking his party by cosponsoring our
amendment to close the terrorist loophole. ...
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I want to take an opportunity
to salute and thank and commend my colleagues who are
departing.
Mr. President, Senator Kirk, my colleague from
Illinois, just finished his remarks.
Mark and I had the opportunity and the privilege to
work on many things together. He is a Navy commander. He
never lets me forget that. He always called me Major; I
always called him Commander. He served the State of
Illinois with great integrity, great energy, and great
spirit, and we thank him for that very much.
Thank you for your service to the Nation in the uniform
of the U.S. Navy.
We also have other colleagues departing: Senator Ayotte
from New Hampshire; Senator Boxer of California, Senator
Coats of Indiana; as I mentioned, Senator Kirk of
Illinois; Senator Mikulski of Maryland; Senator Reid of
Nevada; and Senator Vitter of Louisiana. Each has brought
passion in their work to best serve their constituents,
and the institution of the Senate and the Nation are
better for this service. I am better for knowing them,
working with them, and having the opportunity to share
with them, and I want to thank them for their service. Let
me mention a few words with respect to all of these
distinguished Senators. ...
Mr. President, Mark Kirk I have mentioned. I had the
privilege, the opportunity, and the pleasure of being able
to salute him as he was here. Again, we always greet each
other as Major Reed and Commander Kirk, and I see deep
symbolism and deep affection in regard to that exchange. I
wish him well as he goes forth. ...
I have been very fortunate. I have had the privilege to
serve with these ladies and gentlemen, and I want to thank
them for their service.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, for nearly 16 years, Senator
Mark Kirk has given voice to his Illinois constituents
here in Washington. His long record of service includes
work as a congressional staffer, a 24-year career as a
naval intelligence officer, a U.S. Congressman, and a U.S.
Senator.
Dedicated to several matters of national and
international importance, Senator Kirk has supported a
range of legislative efforts during his Senate tenure and
has not shied from opposing his party's position. From
supporting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and
efforts to repeal ``don't ask, don't tell,'' from his
opposition to defunding Planned Parenthood and the
blockade of President Obama's Supreme Court nominee,
Senator Kirk has emerged as a conservative voice in
support of some of the most critical civil rights
protections debated today.
When Senator Kirk returned to the Senate following his
traumatic stroke in 2012, he showed his commitment to
Illinois' voters. As Senator Kirk begins this new chapter,
I wish him the very best.
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I know it is always difficult
to come to the floor and talk about the departure of our
good friends and valued colleagues. The word I have heard
mentioned the most this week is ``bittersweet''--people
looking forward to the next chapter of their lives but
regretting the fact that good friends and valued
colleagues are moving on to the next chapter of their
lives. Every other December, we find ourselves bidding
farewell to some of our most admired and respected
Members. Today I wish to speak briefly about four of them,
starting with our good friend from New Hampshire, Senator
Ayotte. ...
Finally, Mr. President, I wish to recognize the senior
Senator from Illinois, Mark Kirk. If my colleagues have
noticed Senator Kirk's interests on the floor, they will
notice a trend. In addition to supporting measures that
help the people of Illinois, he is laser-focused on
keeping America safe. He provides us a declassified
situation map that shows us where the U.S. military is
engaged in fighting the war on terror in the Middle East
and in Africa.
He is a former member of the U.S. Navy, and so he has
worked long and hard to strengthen our military at every
turn. He has been a thoughtful and vocal critic of some of
our Nation's biggest adversaries, like North Korea and
Iran. Mark has never been one to shy away from more
sanctions or steeper penalties for those countries if it
means the United States will be safer as a result. To put
it simply, Mark Kirk is a great patriot.
We all know his personal story of overcoming a stroke
and his great perseverance and fortitude. It really has
been an inspiration to watch Mark as he has recovered from
that devastating stroke and continued to be an enormously
productive Senator on behalf of the State of Illinois.
It has been a joy to see him turn that difficult
circumstance into a rallying cry to help others get the
best care and rehabilitation available today.
So I am personally grateful to Senator Kirk for many
things, but in particular I want to mention his strong
support of anti-human-trafficking legislation. I joined
him in Chicago a few years ago to speak with law
enforcement about the connections between organized crime
and sex trafficking. Mark has never wavered from his
support for important legislation that we passed here this
last year called the Justice for Victims of Trafficking
Act. He understood right from the beginning that human
trafficking was essentially modern-day slavery, targeting,
as it did, vulnerable children--typically a child of 12 to
14 years old who has run away from home, only to find
themselves unable to leave because they have become a
victim of slavery. So I am thankful to Senator Kirk for
standing up for the victims of human trafficking and
taking care of and prioritizing our veterans and service
men and women.
Let me close by saying thank you again to our friends
Senator Kirk, Senator Vitter, Senator Coats, and Senator
Ayotte for the indelible mark and contributions they made
to the Senate and my sincere appreciation for how they
have faithfully served our country. I am grateful for
their friendship and wish them and their families well as
they tackle new ventures ahead.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, when the current Congress is
brought to a close with the banging of the gavel, several
Members will be departing our Senate community. Whatever
they will be doing after closing this chapter of their
lives, we wish them well and share with them our great
appreciation for their willingness to serve and make a
difference over the years.
Mark Kirk, one of our current Senators from Illinois,
has left a mark on the Congress that will not soon be
forgotten. He has served with great distinction, and he
has made a difference in the Senate.
Mark's time in Washington began when the people of
Illinois voted to send him to the House of
Representatives. He represented their interests in that
Chamber from 2001 to 2010. In 2010, Mark ran for and won
an open Senate seat. When he was sworn in, he brought with
him what had earned him the trust and support of the
people back home throughout his years in the House--an
independent streak and an open mind to everything that
drew his interest and captured his attention.
The statistics of the past 6 years bear that out.
Whatever came before the Senate gave Mark reason to review
each issue considering the best interests of the people of
his State. He wasn't always found exclusively on one side
of the aisle or the other when it came time to vote.
During his years of service in the Senate, two issues
that particularly drew his attention were Iran and the
treatment of our Nation's veterans. Mark has been focused
on Iran and what our Nation should be doing to ensure that
Iran's threat to the Middle East and other nations is
minimized. He has been tireless in keeping watch over
their potential nuclear program. As chairman of the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs, Mark has focused on ensuring that those
veterans who retired from duty with medical issues have
received the care they needed to recover and live better,
more healthful lives. This was an interest that stemmed
from his service in the Navy Reserve from 1989 to 2013 and
is yet another way for Mark to make a difference in the
lives of those who had served our Nation.
Before I close, I must recognize the challenge Mark
overcame by recovering from a stroke during his Senate
service. It was a long and difficult road back to the
Senate so he could again represent the people of his home
State, but Mark persevered. All told, it took him a year
before he was strong enough to return to Washington on a
permanent basis.
One moment I will always remember is the day he came
back to the Senate, walking the steps with Vice President
Joe Biden and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. The
courage, determination, and step-by-step success Mark made
in achieving another difficult goal could not have been
more clear to those of us who watched him climb the
stairs.
The stroke that affected him physically also had an
impact on his personal outlook on life. When he was able,
he wrote of his experience, ``I was once a pessimist. I'm
not that man anymore. And that change, brought about by
misfortune, is the best thing that ever happened to me.''
I have enjoyed the opportunity to come to know Mark
over his Washington years, and I wish he were going to
stay with us so we could continue to follow his life as he
works on his goals, dreams, ambitions, and efforts to keep
us safe.
Mark, Diana joins me in sending our best wishes and our
appreciation for your willingness to serve. You have a
record of which you should be very proud--just as proud as
we are of you. You leave having made a difference far
beyond your years of service.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on January 3, 2013, Senator
Mark Kirk climbed the 45 steps to the U.S. Capitol,
triumphantly returning to work after a year of intensive
recovery from a stroke. To the cheers of colleagues and
friends, he called it one of the greatest moments of his
life.
It was a moment of courage and determination that
defined a life dedicated to serving the people of Illinois
and of our Nation. From his service in the Navy Reserve as
an intelligence officer, to the World Bank, the State
Department, the House International Relations Committee,
and five terms representing the 10th Congressional
District of Illinois, Senator Kirk brought to this Chamber
a wealth of experience, wisdom, and commitment.
I had the pleasure of working alongside Senator Kirk on
the Appropriations, Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions, and Aging Committees. His approach to
legislating has been in the highest traditions of the
Senate: Informed, passionate, and always civil. He looked
at the issues before the Senate not through the lens of a
political partisan, but rather through the lens of a
pragmatic problem solver and consensus builder.
Senator Kirk has been a valued ally on many fronts. We
introduced the REGROW Act to accelerate the development of
new therapies for patients living with such diseases as
Alzheimer's disease and diabetes and to achieve
breakthroughs in stroke recovery. I was proud to be named
with him to serve on the Women's and Family Global Health
Task Force so that the United States will continue to be a
leader in preventing maternal and childhood deaths from
treatable causes. We joined together on vital legislation
to keep firearms out of the hands of terrorists and in
addressing our Nation's opioid addiction crisis. He has
always had a deep commitment to good government and was a
strong voice for accountability through independent,
effective inspectors general.
As chairman and former ranking member of the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs, Senator Kirk has worked tirelessly on
behalf of the men and women who serve our country.
Following in the tradition of Illinois Senator Everett
Dirksen, who helped pass the Civil Rights Act a half
century ago, Senator Kirk has been a leader in ensuring
the rights of America's LGBT community.
The past election brought disappointment, but it also
revealed character. Senator Kirk ran a vigorous but
honorable campaign and never compromised his principles.
When the decision went against him, he conceded
graciously, reminding Americans that what unites us is far
stronger than what divides us.
It has been an honor to serve with Senator Kirk in the
U.S. Senate. It has been a joy to develop our friendship,
one I will cherish always. I wish him all the best in the
years to come, and I know that he will meet any challenges
that lie ahead with the strength and fortitude he brought
to those 45 steps of the U.S. Capitol.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. ... Madam President, I will close my
remarks by turning to some of our retiring Senators and
speaking briefly on each one of them. ...
There are many other Senators whom we wish well to.
There is Senator Kirk and the work he has done on the
Great Lakes priorities. We have worked on that together,
as well as all of his leadership in the area of
international relations.
Mr. McCONNELL. ... It goes without saying that keeping
the Capitol running is a vast undertaking. It requires a
passion for service, round-the-clock work, and great
sacrifice by everyone employed. The legislative process
simply wouldn't be possible without the dedicated work of
so many. On behalf of the Senate, I would like to
acknowledge their efforts and say thank you to the
following:
To my leadership team for their wise counsel; to our
committee chairs and ranking members for so much great
work over the past 2 years; to the many colleagues in both
parties for working so hard to make this Senate a success;
and, to those we are saying farewell to--Senators Coats,
Boxer, Mikulski, Reid, Vitter, Kirk, and Ayotte--for your
service to our country, I say thank you. ...
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the
junior Senator from Illinois, my good friend Mark Kirk. I
know I speak for all of my colleagues in expressing
gratitude of his service on behalf of our Nation. When he
leaves us in January, we will miss him dearly.
Senator Kirk was born in Champaign, IL, in 1959 and
attended Cornell University, where he graduated cum laude
with a bachelor's degree in history. He would later earn a
master's degree from the London School of Economics and a
law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. His
academic background in law and history prepared him for a
life in public service.
Senator Kirk first came to Capitol Hill as a staffer,
working for Congressman John Porter of Illinois. He
quickly rose through the staff ranks to become Congressman
Porter's chief of staff before leaving to take a post at
the World Bank and, later, at the State Department.
While still working on Capitol Hill, Mark also pursued
military service, joining the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1989 as
an intelligence officer. He was an active member of the
Navy Reserve for the next 24 years, retiring from the
military with the rank of commander. As a Navy officer,
Mark's duties took him to conflict zones across the
world--from the forests of former Yugoslavia to the
deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. For more
than a decade, Mark continued military service while
simultaneously working as a Congressman in the House of
Representatives.
While in the House of Representatives, Mark
distinguished himself as a prudent member of the
Appropriations Committee and an expert on foreign policy
issues. In 2010, he was elected to the Senate and quickly
set to work the following year championing infrastructure
reform that was critical to his home State of Illinois. In
2012, Mark faced perhaps his most significant challenge
yet when he unexpectedly suffered a stroke that nearly
took his life and left the left side of his body severely
impaired. Rather than be defeated, Mark channeled all of
his energies in working toward recovery, spending
countless hours working with physical therapists to regain
his ability to walk.
What motivated Mark most during this difficult period
was the desire to continue serving the people of Illinois.
Thanks to Mark's unrelenting efforts and the heartfelt
prayers of family and friends--including all of his
colleagues in the Senate--Mark miraculously recovered and
was able to return to his work in the Senate, where he has
served out the remainder of his term with the utmost honor
and distinction. Senator Kirk offers all of us an
unparalleled example of courage amid hardship and grace
amid suffering.
Through his decades of dedicated service to our Nation,
both here in Congress and in the military, Senator Kirk
represents the very best this Nation has to offer. His
integrity, determination, and fortitude in the face of
adversity embody the very pinnacle of American virtue.
Today I would like to thank him for his courage, his
commitment, and his sacrifice. I wish Mark and his family
all the best, and I hope that he will continue his service
to our Nation in the years to come.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, much of the time here in the
Senate, we are engaged in pretty fierce partisan battles.
I would like to take a break from that for a moment and
talk about the four Republican Senators who will not be
back when the 115th Congress convenes next month. While we
may have different political philosophies and policy
prescriptions, I respect and admire each of them, and I
will miss working with all of them. ...
Mr. President, John Kennedy wrote ``Profiles in
Courage'' nearly 50 years ago. But for the last 6 years,
we have had yet another profile in courage here in the
Senate: the junior Senator from Illinois, Mr. Kirk. In
2012, he suffered a devastating ischemic stroke. He had to
relearn how to do basic things, like walking. It took a
year of intensive physical therapy at the Rehabilitation
Institute of Chicago--physical therapy that has been
likened to boot camp. When he returned on January 3, 2013,
and climbed the 45 steps of the Capitol Building to
reenter the Senate, it was a truly inspirational moment
none of us will forget.
Senator Kirk is an Illinois native, from Champaign. He
received his B.A. in history from Cornell University,
graduating cum laude. He went on to earn a master's degree
from the London School of Economics and a law degree from
Georgetown University. While he practiced law at the law
firm of Baker & McKenzie, most of his adult life has been
spent in public service.
Senator Kirk joined the U.S. Navy Reserve as a direct
commission officer in the intelligence career field in
1989. He was recalled to Active Duty for the 1999 NATO
bombing of Yugoslavia; participated in Operation Northern
Watch in Iraq, which enforced the no-fly zone, in 2000;
and later served three reserve deployments in Afghanistan.
He retired from the Navy Reserve with the rank of
commander.
Senator Kirk worked for Representative John Porter and
at the World Bank and the State Department. He came back
to the Hill to serve as a counsel to the House
International Relations Committee, as it was known at the
time. When Representative Porter retired, he successfully
ran for the seat of his former boss and went on to win
reelection four times. I had the pleasure of serving with
both Representative Porter and then-Representative Kirk
while I was in the House. Then he was elected to the
Senate in 2010, to the seat President Obama previously
held.
During Senator Kirk's 16-year congressional career, he
has demonstrated that he puts country above party, most
notably by supporting the commonsense assault weapon ban.
More recently, he was the first Republican Senator to meet
with President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick
Garland. He was the first Republican Senator to call for
hearings and a vote on this superbly qualified individual,
a position applauded by Crain's Chicago Business journal.
Senator Kirk is a staunch supporter of Israel and has
been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that a robust
sanctions regime remains in place against Iran if it fails
to comply with the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action, JCPOA. I have been pleased to work with Senator
Kirk on S. 1882, the Nepal Recovery Act. That bill is on
the legislative calendar; it would be a fitting tribute to
Senator Kirk if the Senate can pass it before the end of
the 114th Congress.
I know that Senator Kirk is justifiably proud of
chairing the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.
Under his stewardship, Congress is poised to pass record
health care funding for our veterans. He serves as the
cochair of the bipartisan Senate Great Lakes Task Force,
which promotes the economic vitality and environmental
health of the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water to
40 million Americans and Canadians. He authored the Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative authorization bill and helped
to secure $300 million in funding to implement it.
During the 112th and 113th Congresses, Senator Kirk had
an awesome responsibility all Senators appreciate: his
desk on the Senate floor--Desk No. 95--was the ``candy
desk.'' He kept the desk stocked with sweets made in
Illinois such as Mars, Milky Way, Jelly Belly, and
Snickers, helping to support an industry that employs over
3,000 people in his home State.
Senator Kirk suffered a life-threatening stroke. It
temporarily slowed him down, but he returned to the Senate
where his courage, grace, dignity, collegiality, and
resolve will continue to inspire all of us long after he
departs next month for his next great endeavor. I wish him
well.
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, as this eventful 114th
Congress draws to a close, today I wish to honor a number
of our colleagues who will be ending their service in the
Senate. I was a newcomer to the Senate at the beginning of
this Congress and the only Democrat in the freshman Senate
class of 2014. I am eternally grateful for the guidance
and wisdom of my fellow Senators, particularly those with
decades of experience fighting for the American people.
Constituents, colleagues, and historians will recount
their accomplishments for years to come, but I will take a
few minutes now to convey some brief words of praise and
gratitude. ...
Mr. President, another colleague from the Midwest,
Senator Mark Kirk, has served with distinction in the
Senate. Like me, Senator Kirk also served as an officer in
the U.S. Navy Reserve. We have collaborated on efforts to
help veterans suffering from PTSD, protect wildlife
habitats and improve water quality in the Great Lakes,
extend Medicare coverage for Americans at risk for
diabetes, and even establish the Senate Albanian Caucus. I
admire the strength and resolve Senator Kirk has exhibited
throughout his Senate term and wish him continued success.
It has been a privilege to work with such talented and
committed colleagues. I wish them all the best in this
next chapter of their lives and thank them for their work.
Thank you.
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENTS
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of
materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to
retiring Members of the 114th Congress, and an additional
Senate document a compilation of materials from the
Congressional Record in tribute to the President of the
Senate, Joe Biden, and that Members have until Tuesday,
December 20, to submit such tributes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
ORDER FOR PRINTING
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
any tributes submitted by December 20, 2016, as authorized
by the order of December 10, 2016, be printed in the
January 3, 2017, Congressional Record of the 114th
Congress.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.