KIRK, MARK (a Senator from Illinois)
Amendments
Conservation of energy: promote energy savings in residential buildings and industry (S. 2262), S2729 [6MY], S2822 [7MY]
Dept. of Defense: authorizing appropriations for military activities, prescribing personnel strengths, and military construction (S. 2410), S4179 [26JN], S5068 [29JY], S5245 [31JY], S6099 [18NO]
Dept. of HHS: reauthorize and improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program (S. 1086), S1588 [12MR]
FEMA: delay implementation of certain reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program (S. 1926), S600 [29JA]
Growth Awareness Week: support goals and ideals (S. Res. 489), S4840, S4845 [23JY]
International Women’s Day: support goals (S. Res. 376), S1666, S1669 [13MR]
National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers: reform (S. 1926), S600 [29JA]
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: allow employers to exempt employees with health coverage under TRICARE or VA from employer health insurance mandate (H.R. 3474), S3114 [15MY]
——— exempt emergency services volunteers from individual health insurance mandate (H.R. 3979), S1874 [31MR], S2020 [1AP], S6545 [10DE]
Science, Depts. of Justice and Commerce, and related agencies: making appropriations (H.R. 4660), S3816 [18JN], S3872 [19JN]
Sports: protect and enhance opportunities for recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting (S. 2363), S4354 [9JY]
Taxation: provide incentives for businesses to bring jobs and business activity back to the U.S. (S. 2569), S4913, S4921, S4922, S4958 [24JY]
Ukraine: support sovereignty and democracy (S. 2124), S1732 [25MR]
Bills and resolutions cosponsored
American Discovery Trail: designate (see S. 2346), S3074 [15MY]
American Education Week: support goals and ideals (see S. Res. 591), S6205 [20NO]
American Fighter Aces: award Congressional Gold Medal (see S. 1827), S1417 [10MR]
American Infrastructure Fund: establish to provide loans or guarantees to State or local governments for qualified infrastructure projects (see S. 1957), S439 [16JA]
Amtrak: propose a pet policy that allows passengers to transport domesticated cats and dogs on certain trains (see S. 1710), S5136 [30JY]
Armed Forces: expand and improve care to members and veterans with mental health disorders, review characterization of discharges, and establish a loan repayment program for certain VA psychiatrists (see S. 2182), S5589 [15SE]
——— require mental health assessments before enlistment or commissioning as an officer (see S. 2231), S3296 [22MY]
Armenia: observe anniversary, support an equitable relationship with Turkey based on acknowledgment of facts, and ensure that U.S. policy reflects appropriate understanding relative to the Armenian Genocide (see S. Res. 410), S2161 [3AP]
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: observance (see S. Res. 460), S3294 [22MY]
Baker, Howard H., Jr.: tribute (see S. Res. 494), S4154 [26JN]
Black History Month: observance (see S. Res. 363), S1174 [26FE]
Boys Town (organization): mint coins in commemoration of anniversary (see S. 1011), S6095 [18NO]
Budget: ensure effective control over the congressional budget process (see S. 280), S3508 [9JN]
Burma: develop nondiscriminatory solution addressing Rakhine State’s need for peace and security, end persecution of Rohingya people, and respect internationally recognized human rights for all minority groups (see S. Res. 586), S6205 [20NO]
Bush, George: tribute (see S. Res. 471), S3604 [11JN]
Canada: ensure that the Canadian government does not permanently store nuclear waste in the Great Lakes Basin (see S. Res. 565), S5783 [18SE]
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: adjust the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program in order to avoid disproportionate penalties for hospitals treating vulnerable populations (see S. 2501), S3863 [19JN]
Children and youth: bolster U.S. diplomacy and assistance aimed at ensuring children have permanent, safe, nurturing, and loving families and strengthen intercountry adoption to the U.S. and around the world (see S. 2475), S3719 [17JN]
——— improve the health of children and help better understand and enhance awareness about unexpected sudden death in early life (see S. 2746), S6149 [19NO]
——— treat children being trafficked for sex as victims of human trafficking and require law enforcement to take all necessary measures to protect such children, particularly during the Super Bowl (see S. Res. 340), S656 [30JA]
China: recognize cooperation in science and technology with the U.S. (see S. Res. 601), S6788 [12DE]
Cinco de Mayo: observance (see S. Res. 437), S2648 [5MY]
Commission To Accelerate the End of Breast Cancer: establish (see S. 865), S3295 [22MY]
Committee on Taxation (Joint): provide a macroeconomic analysis or dynamic scoring of the impact of major revenue legislation (see S. 2371), S3237 [21MY]
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: resume processing adoption cases and issuance of exit permits for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents (see S. Res. 502), S4503 [15JY]
Congress: approve permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline (see S. 2280), S2614 [1MY]
Constitution—U.S.: protect the separation of powers by allowing Congress to authorize a civil action against the President or executive branch for failure to execute laws (see S. 2118), S1584 [12MR]
Consumers: provide debit cardholders with consumer protections equivalent to those available to credit cardholders (see S. 2200), S2095 [2AP]
Crime: combat human trafficking (see S. 2941), S6627 [11DE]
——— stop exploitation through human trafficking (see S. 2599), S4454 [14JY]
Denton, Jeremiah: tribute (see S. Res. 407), S1871 [31MR]
Dept. of Commerce: establish the Network for Manufacturing Innovation (see S. 1468), S948 [12FE]
Dept. of Education: ensure student data handled by private companies is protected (see S. 2690), S5134 [30JY]
Dept. of Energy: enhance the energy security of U.S. allies by approving exports of natural gas to NATO countries, Japan, or any country found that such exports would enhance U.S. national security (see S. 192), S1692 [24MR]
——— improve management of the National Laboratories, enhance technology commercialization, and facilitate public-private partnerships (see S. 1973), S3342 [2JN]
Dept. of HHS: provide for the participation of optometrists in the National Health Service Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs (see S. 1445), S2648 [5MY]
——— reauthorize certain provisions relating to autism and establish a National Autism Spectrum Disorder Initiative (see S. 2449), S3686 [16JN]
——— reauthorize certain trauma care programs (see S. 2405), S3294 [22MY]
——— reauthorize the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program (see S. 2154), S4455 [14JY]
Dept. of Homeland Security: provide for eligibility of certain foreign territories and regions for participation in the visa waiver program (see S. 2218), S2239 [8AP]
——— reduce fraud and abuse in Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) (see S. 2781), S5787 [18SE]
Dept. of HUD: establish a pilot program to make grants to nonprofit organizations to rehabilitate and modify homes of disabled and low-income veterans (see S. 1387), S2875 [8MY]
Dept. of Justice: improve the restitution process for child pornography victims by considering total losses, requiring timely restitution, and spreading costs among multiple defendants (see S. 2301), S3686 [16JN]
Dept. of State: extend Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program (see S. 2302), S2796 [7MY]
——— renegotiate with Iraq provisions of original agreement relative to the return of the Iraqi Jewish Archive to Iraq (see S. Res. 333), S440 [16JA]
Dept. of the Treasury: extend termination date of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (see S. 2244), S2378 [10AP]
Dept. of Veterans Affairs: improve access of veterans to medical services by improving scheduling, staff training and hiring, access to care from non-departmental providers, and administrative matters (see S. 2450), S3605 [11JN]
——— provide for removal of Senior Executive Service employees based on performance (see S. 2013), S3425 [4JN]
——— provide veterans with the choice of medical providers, improve performance metrics for provided health care, and increase transparency and accountability of operations (see S. 2424), S3367 [3JN]
Depts. of Defense and Veterans Affairs: evaluate mental health care and suicide prevention programs, review discharge or separation of certain individuals, and require a loan repayment pilot program for psychiatrists (see S. 2930), S6541 [10DE]
Diseases: ban new visas to residents of ebola-affected countries and require the President to report on the status of the ebola outbreak (see S. 2953), S6204 [20NO]
——— foster more effective implementation and coordination of clinical care for people with pre-diabetes and diabetes (see S. 539), S1871 [31MR]
Dixon, Alan J.: tribute (see S. Res. 496), S4224 [7JY]
Egypt: provide certain legal relief from politically motivated charges by Egyptian Government (see S. 2649), S4762 [23JY]
Eliot Ness ATF Building, Washington, DC: designate (see S. 1914), S290 [13JA]
EPA: call for withdrawal of proposed rules to establish carbon pollution (greenhouse gas) emission guidelines for existing and modified and reconstructed fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units (see S. Res. 512), S4762 [23JY]
——— disapprove rule establishing new source performance standards to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new powerplants (see S.J. Res. 30), S439 [16JA]
——— provide direction relative to establishment of emissions standards of greenhouse gas from fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units (see S. 1905), S3475 [5JN]
Eximbank: extend and reauthorize (see S. 2709), S5135 [30JY]
FDA: incentivize the development of treatments and vaccines for ebola by adding the disease to priority review voucher program (see S. 2917), S5918 [12NO]
——— provide an alternative process for review of safety and effectiveness of nonprescription sunscreen active ingredients (see S. 2141), S2876 [8MY]
Federal agencies and departments: end contracts and prohibit entering into new contracts with Rosoboronexport (company) relative to Russian military intervention in Ukraine (see S. 2352), S3186 [20MY]
——— include language in certain educational and advertising materials indicating that such materials are produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense (see S. 1921), S6302 [3DE]
FEMA: require rulemaking to address considerations in evaluating the need for public and individual disaster assistance (see S. 1960), S486 [27JA]
Financial institutions: clarify application of certain leverage and risk-based capital requirements (see S. 2270), S2470 [29AP]
——— improve examination of depository institutions (see S. 727), S1819 [27MR]
——— provide exception from requirement for annual privacy notices for financial institutions which do not share personal information with affiliates (see S. 635), S1692 [24MR]
Foreign policy: call for use of all lawful tools to release Warren Weinstein from captivity and return all U.S. citizens held captive abroad (see S. Con. Res. 38), S6388 [8DE]
FRS: reaffirm importance of community banking and community banking regulatory experience on the Board of Governors and ensure at least one member with such experience (see S. 2252), S2379 [10AP]
——— require an audit of the Board of Governors and Federal Reserve banks (see S. 209), S6448 [9DE]
Greece: independence anniversary (see S. Res. 377), S1655 [13MR]
Health: reauthorize certain programs related to traumatic brain injury and trauma research (see S. 2539), S4706 [22JY]
——— repeal mandate that individuals purchase health insurance (see S. 40), S2796 [7MY]
——— require Dept. of HHS to establish a Regenerative Medicine Coordinating Council and GAO to submit report identifying all Federal programs and activities relative to regenerative medicine (see S. 2126), S1652 [13MR]
Human rights: impose sanctions relative to foreign persons responsible for gross violations of internationally-recognized human rights (see S. 1933), S822 [6FE]
Immigration: treat all unaccompanied alien children crossing the U.S. Southern border equally, allow for voluntary reunification with family, and expedite due process for claims to remain in the U.S. (see S. 2611), S4764 [23JY]
International Women’s Day: support goals (see S. Res. 376), S1366 [6MR]
Iraq: protect religious minorities from persecution by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) (terrorist organization) (see S. Res. 530), S5135 [30JY]
IRS: prohibit modification of the standard for determining whether an organization is operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare (see S. 2011), S890 [11FE]
Israel: reaffirm support for right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas (terrorist organization), condemn and call for an end to such attacks, and dissolve Palestinian Authority unity Government with Hamas (see S. Res. 498), S4404 [10JY]
——— strengthen strategic alliance with the U.S. (see S. 2673), S4997 [28JY]
Jan Karski Day: designate (see S. Res. 371), S1315 [5MR]
Jeffords, James M.: tribute (see S. Res. 539), S5434 [9SE]
Jewish American Heritage Month: observance (see S. Res. 458), S3294 [22MY]
Karski, Jan: tribute (see S. Res. 594), S6351 [4DE]
Lane A. Evans VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Galesburg, IL: designate (see S. 2921), S6024 [17NO]
Mathews, Harlan: tribute (see S. Res. 444), S2953 [13MY]
Medicare: develop criteria for medically necessary short inpatient hospital stays (see S. 2082), S2380 [10AP]
——— include information on the coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity in the ‘‘Medicare and You Handbook’’ and coordinate programs to prevent and treat obesity (see S. 1184), S4155 [26JN]
——— modify payment for outpatient department procedures that utilize drugs as supplies (see S. 2980), S6350 [4DE]
——— recognize certain certified diabetes educators as certified providers for purposes of outpatient diabetes self-management training services (see S. 945), S1871 [31MR]
——— remove the physician certification requirement for inpatient critical access hospital services (see S. 2037), S1001 [24FE]
——— strengthen and protect hospice programs (see S. 1053), S1692 [24MR]
Middle East: prevent Hezbollah and associated entities from gaining access to international financial and other institutions (see S. 2329), S3296 [22MY]
Moldova: support sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, call for removal of Russian forces, and resolve conflict in Transnistria territory (see S. Res. 411), S2161 [3AP]
Motor vehicles: limit retrieval of data from vehicle event data recorders (see S. 1925), S325 [14JA]
National Aphasia Awareness Month: designate (see S. Res. 464), S3367 [3JN]
National Charter Schools Week: support goals and ideals (see S. Res. 438), S2718 [6MY]
National discovery trails: establish (see S. 2346), S3074 [15MY]
National Drug Take-Back Week: designate (see S. Res. 466), S5509 [10SE]
National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: designate (see S. Res. 536), S5376 [8SE]
National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Abuse Awareness Month: designate (see S. Res. 466), S5509 [10SE]
National Science and Technology Week: designate (see S. Res. 329), S68 [7JA]
National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care: designate (see S. Res. 350), S949 [12FE]
National Travel and Tourism Week: observance (see S. Res. 443), S2953 [13MY]
Nazi Party—World War II: terminate Social Security benefits for individuals who participated in Nazi persecution (see S. 2944), S6206 [20NO]
Nicklaus, Jack: award Congressional Gold Medal (see S. 1040), S3475 [5JN]
Nigeria: condemn abduction of female students by Boko Haram (terrorist organization) armed militants in Borno province and urge continued U.S. support and assistance (see S. Res. 433), S2720 [6MY]
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: allow employers to exempt employees with health coverage under TRICARE or VA from employer health insurance mandate (see S. 2190), S1923 [1AP]
——— modify definition of full-time employee relative to employer health insurance mandate (see S. 1188), S5136 [30JY]
——— provide temporary shift in scheduled collection of transitional reinsurance program payments (see S. 2253), S2379 [10AP]
Peres, Shimon: award Congressional Gold Medal (see S. 1456), S1048 [25FE]
Poland: anniversary of Warsaw Uprising (see S. Res. 513), S4905 [24JY]
Pullman National Historical Park: establish (see S. 1962), S486 [27JA]
Russia: impose sanctions and provide additional assistance to Ukraine (see S. 2828), S6024 [17NO]
——— prevent further aggression toward Ukraine and other European and Eurasian states by strengthening NATO, imposing sanctions, and hardening non-NATO allies (see S. 2277), S2613 [1MY]
Small Business Saturday: designate (see S. Res. 548), S5629 [16SE]
Sudan: condemn charge of apostasy and death sentence of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, encourage U.S. efforts to support religious freedom, and urge inclusion of freedom of religion when drafting new constitution (see S. Res. 453), S3297 [22MY]
Syria: condemn human rights violations, allow access to humanitarian assistance, address impact of war on neighboring countries, and call for international response to such atrocities (see S. Res. 384), S1653 [13MR]
Taxation: exclude from gross income any prizes or awards received by Olympic or Paralympic medal winners (see S. 2026), S947 [12FE]
——— extend and modify the railroad track maintenance credit (see S. 411), S1584 [12MR]
——— make permanent the moratorium on Internet access taxation and multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce (see S. 1431), S1585 [12MR]
——— reduce excise tax rate on beer produced domestically by certain qualifying producers (see S. 917), S2379 [10AP]
——— repeal the employer health insurance mandate (see S. 399), S2796 [7MY]
Terrorism: express that the transfer of certain detainees on May 31, 2014, was unlawful, call for an investigation, and determine impact of the transfer on the common defense of the U.S. (see S. Res. 469), S3604 [11JN]
Travel Promotion Act: extend (see S. 2250), S2379 [10AP]
U.N.: deny admission to the U.S. any U.N. representative who has engaged in espionage or terrorist activities, or poses a national security threat, against the U.S. (see S. 2195), S2241 [8AP]
Ukraine: condemn violation of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity by Russian forces and call for international response opposing Russia’s actions and in support of Ukrainian Government (see S. Res. 370), S1315 [5MR] (see S. Res. 378), S1519 [11MR]
——— refute Russian sovereignty over Crimea, its territory, airspace, or waters, oppose foreign aid or investments with Russia as intermediary, and restrict aid to countries that recognize Russian sovereignty (see S. 2238), S2378 [10AP]
Unemployment: extend unemployment benefits (see S. 2148), S1653 [13MR] (see S. 2149), S1691 [24MR]
——— extend unemployment benefits with offsets, reform program, terminate benefits to jobless millionaires, and eliminate overlapping benefits with the Social Security Disability Insurance program (see S. 2097), S1366 [6MR]
USA Science & Engineering Festival: support goals and ideals (see S. Res. 329), S68 [7JA]
Venezuela: impose targeted sanctions on persons responsible for violations of human rights of antigovernment protesters and strengthen civil society (see S. 2142), S1652 [13MR]
——— support democracy, condemn violence and intimidation of political opposition and investigate such acts, dismantle militias, impose sanctions, and encourage dialogue with political opposition (see S. Res. 365), S1316 [5MR]
Wilderness Act: anniversary (see S. Res. 573), S5784 [18SE]
Wildlife: prohibit import, export, transportation, sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce of any live animal of any prohibited wildlife species (see S. 1463), S5699 [17SE]
Women: codify U.S. Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security to promote inclusion of women in conflict resolution efforts and peacebuilding institutions (see S. 1942), S439 [16JA]
——— combat international violence against women and girls (see S. 2307), S2875 [8MY]
World Malaria Day: support goals and ideals (see S. Res. 426), S2470 [29AP]
World War II: award Congressional Gold Medal to Monuments Men in recognition of their role in preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and articles of cultural importance (see S. 1862), S949 [12FE]
Bills and resolutions introduced
Aviation: encourage investments in airports through public-private partnerships (see S. 2750), S5217 [31JY]
Crime: enhance criminal and civil remedies in the protection of children and other victims of commercial sexual exploitation and related crimes (see S. 2536), S4153 [26JN]
——— enhance penalties for computer crimes (see S. 1984), S702 [3FE]
Dept. of Education: use amounts provided for the Fund for the Improvement of Education to establish a pilot program that supports year-round public elementary and secondary schools (see S. 2029), S948 [12FE]
Dept. of HHS: revise and extend program for viral hepatitis surveillance, education, and testing in order to prevent deaths from chronic liver disease and liver cancer (see S. 2538), S4153 [26JN]
Dept. of the Treasury: allow reliance on State examinations for certain financial institutions in order to assist immigrant communities in making remittances to their countries of origin (see S. 2208), S2161 [3AP]
Dept. of Transportation: provide States with greater flexibility in innovative highway financing (see S. 2051), S1233 [27FE]
Everett McKinley Dirksen and Marigold Day: designate (see S. Res. 534), S5218 [31JY]
Executive Office of the President: negotiate extradition treaties to combat more effectively international cybercriminals (see S. Res. 563), S5783 [18SE]
Federal agencies and departments: review certain rules and regulations (see S. 2747), S5217 [31JY]
Financial institutions: clarify that prohibitions on investments in certain funds shall not be construed to require divestiture of certain collateralized debt obligations backed by trust-preferred securities (see S. 1907), S223 [9JA]
Growth Awareness Week: support goals and ideals (see S. Res. 489), S4154 [26JN]
Immigration: prohibit fraudulent transfer of custody of unaccompanied alien children (see S. 2767), S5218 [31JY]
Iran: expand economic sanctions, hold human rights violators accountable, and promote democracy (see S. 2585), S4404 [10JY]
——— prohibit waiver of certain sanctions absent certification that the waiver will not result in funding activities in support of terrorism, nuclear weapon development, or human rights violations (see S. 2667), S4903 [24JY]
Korean Peninsula: resume family reunions between North and South Korea, allow Korean Americans to reunite with divided families in North Korea, and encourage peace (see S. Res. 587), S6205 [20NO]
Medicare: establish smart card pilot program (see S. 2586), S4404 [10JY]
Schools: encourage growth and replication of successful charter school models (see S. 2304), S2796 [7MY]
SEC: prevent duplicative regulation of advisers of small business investment companies (see S. 2765), S5217 [31JY]
Taxation: exclude payments received under Work Colleges Program from gross income, including payments made from institutional funds (see S. 2525), S4003 [25JN]
——— improve and expand Coverdell education savings accounts (see S. 2892), S5783 [18SE]
——— increase the national limitation amount for qualified highway or surface freight transfer facility bonds (see S. 2050), S1233 [27FE]
Telecommunications: create a Federal Spectrum Reallocation Commission and provide for the use of a portion of the proceeds from the auction of reallocated Federal spectrum for deficit reduction (see S. 2155), S1731 [25MR]
Remarks
Chicago, IL: tribute to Jackie Robinson West Little League All-Stars baseball team, S5370• [8SE]
Dept. of the Treasury: extend termination date of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (S. 2244), S4580 [17JY]
Firearms: prevent criminals from obtaining firearms through straw purchasing and trafficking, S1649• [13MR]
National Roofing Week: designate, S4001• [25JN]
Sellers, Lawrence D., Jr.: Boy Scouts Honor Medal recipient, S1649• [13MR]
Shah, Manish S.: nomination to be district judge, S2555• [30AP]
Tributes
Black, Catherine M., S518• [28JA]
Crane, Philip M., S6142 [19NO]
Radogno, Lisa, S3842 [19JN]
Sullivan, Patrick L., S1649• [13MR]