[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16378]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO MARK KIRK

  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.

                          ____________________