Mark Kirk

Mark Kirk
Mark Kirk
United States Senator
from Illinois
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 29, 2010
Serving with Dick Durbin
Preceded by Roland Burris
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 10th district
In office
January 3, 2001 – November 29, 2010
Preceded by John Porter
Succeeded by Robert Dold
Personal details
Born September 15, 1959 (1959-09-15) (age 52)
Champaign, Illinois
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Kimberly Vertolli (2001–2009) (divorced)[1]
Residence Highland Park, Illinois[2]
Alma mater Cornell University (B.A.)
London School of Economics
Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.)
Occupation Attorney, Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve
Religion United Church of Christ[3]
Website Official website
Military service
Service/branch United States Navy seal United States Navy United States Navy
Years of service 1989–present
Rank US-O5 insignia.svg Commander
Unit U.S. Navy Reserve

Mark Steven Kirk (born September 15, 1959) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Kirk was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 10th congressional district.

Born in Champaign, Illinois, 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 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.

Contents

Early life and education

Mark Kirk was born in Champaign, Illinois to Judith Reeve and Francis Gabriel Kirk.[4][5] After graduating from New Trier East High School in 1977 he attended Cornell University, where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in History.[6] Kirk later obtained a masters degree from the London School of Economics and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Georgetown University Law Center.[7][8]

Teaching career

While Kirk was an undergraduate student at Cornell University he held a work study job supervising a play group at the Forest Home Chapel nursery school and after getting his masters degree Kirk taught for one year at a private school in London.[9][10] He later stated in speeches and interviews that he had been a nursery and middle school teacher. For example, Kirk claimed in a speech to the Illinois Education Association, "As a former nursery school and middle school teacher, I know some of what it takes to bring order to class." However, a member of the Forest Home Chapel said, "He was never, ever considered a teacher [at the nursery school]."[9]

In discussing problems in the educational system early in his congressional career, Kirk addressed the brevity of his teaching career: “I did leave the teaching profession, but if we had addressed some of the teacher development issues, which I want to raise with you, I might have stayed.”[9][11]

Military service

Kirk was commissioned as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve in 1989.[8]

In 1999 Kirk was recalled to active duty in Operation Allied Force for the bombing of Yugoslavia. He served from to April 10 to June 6, 1999 as the intelligence officer of VAQ-209.[12] VAQ-209 was combined with three other EA-6B squadrons to form an ad hoc unit called Electronic Attack Wing Aviano, Italy. VAQ-140 had tactical command of the combined unit.[13] In May, 2000, the National Military Intelligence Association bestowed the organization's Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award to Intelligence Division Electronic Attack Wing Aviano, Italy.[14]

In March and April, 2000 Kirk trained with an EC-130 squadron based in Turkey. Kirk took a flight over Iraq as part of Operation Northern Watch, which enforced a no fly zone over the northern section of Iraq.[15]

Kirk has served three, two-week reserve deployments in Afghanistan, with the latest concluding in September of 2011.[16]

Awards

During his military career, Kirk has been awarded the following medals: the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, as well as the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Navy Unit Commendation, and the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation. He continues his service in the Navy Reserve holding the rank of Commander.[17]

Kirk corrected claims he had made about being awarded "Navy Intelligence Officer of the Year" after it was brought to the media's attention by his Democratic opponent, Alexi Giannoulias.[18] In a 2002 House committee hearing recorded by C-Span, Kirk said, "I was the Navy's Intelligence Officer of the Year," an achievement he said gave him special qualifications to discuss national security spending.[17] However, in May 2010, the Washington Post reported that Kirk's claim to having been named the Navy's “Intelligence Officer of the Year” was erroneous.[19] The National Military Intelligence Association gave the Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award to the entire Intelligence Division Electronic Attack Wing at Aviano.[17] Kirk was the lead intelligence officer for VAQ-209, one of the four squadrons assigned to the Electronic Attack Wing. VAQ-140 had tactical command.[13] Kirk later apologized for this and other errors, including claims of having been fired upon during an aerial reconnaissance mission in Iraq, about which there is no official record, and of having participated in Operation Desert Storm when in fact he did not.[20]

On June 7, 2010, Medal of Honor recipient and advocate of Veteran's benefits, Allen Lynch, deemed Mark Kirk's apologies adequate, and further commented: “To me, in my opinion, it's just a bunch of nit picking. Plus, he's done a christ ton for veterans. So I think this is being blown way out of proportion".[21]

Service under fire

Controversy regarding Kirk's military record continued as other statements surfaced, such as Kirk stating “the last time I was in Iraq I was in uniform, flying at 20,000 feet, and the Iraqi Air Defense network was shooting at us.” Kirk has since clarified his previous statements, admitting that he was never fired on as he flew over Iraq or Kosovo.[22] “I simply misremembered [sic] it wrong,” he told The Chicago Sun-Times, referring to his military record.[23]

Military politicing

On December 18, 2009, Undersecretary of Defense Gail H. McGinn noted in a memo that Kirk had on two previous active duty periods engaged in politicking—violation of military policy by participating in political activities while on active duty, per Department of Defense regulations. On one occasion Congressman Kirk commented on Rod Blagojevich's arrest and posted a tweet while on duty with the Navy in Afghanistan.[24] According to the Pentagon, Kirk was required to sign a statement acknowledging he knew the rules and wouldn't break them again.[25]

Early political career

Kirk worked on the staff of John Porter, the former holder of Illinois’s 10th congressional district. From 1991 to 1993, Kirk was the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. State Department. Kirk was an attorney for Baker & McKenzie from 1993 to 1995. In 1995, Kirk was named as a counsel to the House International Relations Committee. He remained counsel to the House International Relations Committee until 1999.[8]

U.S. House of Representatives

Kirk as a Congressman.

Elections

Kirk was originally elected in 2000 with 51%. He won re-election with comfortable margins in 2002 and 2004. He defeated Dan Seals by a five point margin in 2006, and defeated him again by the same exact margin in a rematch in 2008.

Tenure

Kirk was a member of the House Iran Working Group, the founder and co-chair of the House U.S.-China Working Group,[26] the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues,[8] the co-chair of the Albanian Issues Caucus in ex Yugoslavia,[27] and a member of the GOP Tuesday Group.[28] During his House tenure, he was a member of the House Appropriations Committee.[29]

During his tenure in the House, Kirk voted for the Waxman-Markey "Cap-and-Trade" bill.[30][31]

Committee assignments

Source: Appropriations subcommittees

Immigration

Kirk attracted controversy by stating that he was not opposed to discriminating against Arab males from certain countries. He stated, "I’m OK with discrimination against young Arab males from terrorist-producing states. I’m OK with that."[32]

U.S. Senate

2010 election

On July 20, 2009, Kirk announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate election for the seat held by Roland Burris, which had been held by Barack Obama before his election as president. On February 2, 2010, Kirk won the Republican primary with 56.6 percent of the vote; no other candidate had as much as 20 percent.[33] He ran against Democratic nominee Alexi Giannoulias, Green Party nominee LeAlan Jones, and Libertarian nominee Mike Labno. During the Illinois U.S. Senate election campaign in 2010, Kirk and Giannoulias were in a hotly contested debate. Kirk (R) defeated Giannoulias in the election for the full 6-year term, getting 48% to Giannoulias's 46%. Kirk changed his position on Cap and Trade legislation during the campaign saying he voted for it "because it was in the narrow interests of my Congressional district," but that as a representative of the entire state of Illinois, "I will vote No on that bill.”[34]

Tenure

On December 18, 2010, Kirk voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.[35][36][37][38][39][40] Kirk sits at the Senate's coveted candy desk.[41]

Caucus memberships

  • Albanian Issue Caucus (Co-Chair)
  • Congressional Diabetes Caucus (Vice-Chair)
  • International Conservation Caucus

Committee Assignments

Electoral history

Illinois's 10th congressional district: Results 2000–2008[42]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
2000 Lauren Beth Gash 115,924 49% Mark Kirk 121,582 51%
2002 Henry H. Perritt, Jr. 58,300 31% Mark Kirk 128,611 69%
2004 Lee Goodman 99,218 36% Mark Kirk 177,493 64%
2006 Daniel J. Seals 94,278 47% Mark Kirk 107,929 53% *
2008 Daniel J. Seals 138,176 47% Mark Kirk 153,082 53%
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2006, a write-in received 1 vote.
2010 Illinois United States Senate General Election Results[43]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Republican Mark Kirk 1,749,941 48.4%
Democratic Alexi Giannoulias 1,667,527 46.1%
Green LeAlan Jones 115,561 3.2%
Libertarian Michael Labno 85,492 2.4%
Totals 3,618,521 100%
Republican gain from Democratic

Personal life

In February 1998, Kirk met his future wife, Kimberly Vertolli, a Naval Intelligence Officer, by chance, while the two were on duty together at the Pentagon.[44] “It was supposed to be my weekend off ... but Saddam had just thrown out the weapons inspectors and we were preparing for a strike on Baghdad,” Vertolli said, according to Capitol File Magazine.[45] The two married in August 2001.[46] After 8 years of marriage, the two separated, finalizing their divorce in the summer of 2009. Reports have noted that the divorce was an amicable one and the two remain close friends.[47]

Kirk was earlier engaged to Virginia Hurt Johnson, whom he met while both were practicing law in Washington, DC, in 1994.[48] Johnson was the Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 13th Congressional District of North Carolina in 2004, was Counsel to the House Armed Services Committee and was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for House Legislative Affairs under Secretaries Rumsfeld and Gates.[48]

References

  1. ^ Rep. Mark Kirk, wife divorcing. WLS-TV. June 6, 2009.
  2. ^ "About Mark". U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080709090326/http://www.house.gov/kirk/about_mark.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-24. 
  3. ^ "Barack Obama, candidate for President, is 'UCC'". United Church of Christ. February 9, 2007. http://www.ucc.org/news/barack-obama-candidate.html. Retrieved December 18, 2009. 
  4. ^ "Congressman Mark Kirk's father dies of pulmonary fibrosis". Daily Herald. http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=130075. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  5. ^ "President Bush Promotes Kirk to Navy Commander | Congressman Mark Kirk – 10th District, Illinois". Kirk.house.gov. 2005-05-03. http://kirk.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=350&Itemid=93. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  6. ^ Gitlin, Ben. "Mark Kirk '81 Campaigns For Illinois Senate Seat After Winning Primary | The Cornell Daily Sun". Cornellsun.com. http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2010/02/15/mark-kirk-%E2%80%9981-campaigns-illinois-senate-seat-after-winning-primary. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  7. ^ "Profile: Mark Kirk trying to expand base well beyond North Shore – Page 2 – Chicago Tribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 2010-01-10. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-01-10/news/chi-kirk-senate-10-bdogjan10_1_senate-seat-north-shore-republicans/2. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  8. ^ a b c d "CBS 2 Voter Guide: Mark Kirk |date-January 1, 2010". CBS2Chicago.com. http://cbs2chicago.com/voterguide/mark.kirk.senate.2.1423262.html. Retrieved June 22, 2010. [dead link]
  9. ^ a b c Zeleny, Jeff (June 18, 2010). "School Officials Say Candidate Overstated His Role". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/19/us/politics/19kirk.html?ref=jeff_zeleny. Retrieved June 21, 2010. 
  10. ^ Sweet, Lynn (June 18, 2010). "Kirk exaggerates teaching; Duncan helps Giannouliase". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/2406486,CST-NWS-sweet18.article. Retrieved 2010-07-04. 
  11. ^ "Mark Kirk's Teaching Experience 'Overstated,' Says School Representative". Huffington Post. June 18, 2010. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/18/mark-kirks-teaching-exper_n_617721.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  12. ^ Gill, Ellen Beth (May 29, 2010). "Let's Take A Look At Kirk's Award With A Former Navy Officer". Deerfield, IL: Ellen Beth Gill. http://ellenofthetenth.blogspot.com/2010/05/lets-take-look-at-kirks-award-with.html. Retrieved 2010-06-25. 
  13. ^ a b "Electronic Attack Squadron". Vaq140.ahf.nmci.navy.mil. 1985-10-01. http://vaq140.ahf.nmci.navy.mil/Command%20History.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-28. [dead link]
  14. ^ [1][dead link]
  15. ^ Sweet, Lynn (June 3, 2010). "More Mark Kirk military embellishments surface, including in Senate ad, on House floor". Chicago, IL: Chicago Sun-Times. http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/06/more_mark_kirk_military_record.html. Retrieved 2010-06-25. 
  16. ^ [2]
  17. ^ a b c Smith, R. Jeffrey (May 29, 2010). "Illinois Senate candidate admits claim about military award was inaccurate". Washington, DC: Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/29/AR2010052903029.html. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
  18. ^ Pearson, Rick (June 1, 2010). "U.S. Navy alerted Kirk to questions about his military award". Chicago, IL: Chicago Tribune. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/06/us-navy-alerted-kirk-to-questions-about-his-military-award.html. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
  19. ^ Smith, R. Jeffrey (2010-05-30). "Illinois Republican Senate candidate admits to error on Navy award". Washingtonpost.com. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/29/AR2010052903510.html. Retrieved 2010-08-20. 
  20. ^ Pearson, Rick (June 3, 2010). "Kirk apologizes, acknowledges more errors in military resume". Chicago, IL: Chicago Tribune. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/06/kirk-apologizes-acknowledges-more-errors-in-military-resume.html. Retrieved Nov 5, 2010. 
  21. ^ "Medal of Honor Allen Lynch on Mark Kirk's Military Record". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJoH54JyMTo&playnext_from=TL&videos=bSxmd_CfeO4&feature=sub. 
  22. ^ "Kirk Caught Misstating His Military Record Again". Politicalwire.com. 2010-06-03. http://www.politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/03/kirk_caught_misstating_his_military_record_again.html. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  23. ^ Pallasch, Abdon (June 4, 2010). "Kirk says he 'misremembered' military record". Chicago, IL: Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2352440,kirk-corrects-military-record-060310.article. Retrieved June 7, 2010. 
  24. ^ [3][dead link]
  25. ^ "Kirk on defensive against Pentagon over politics". Associated Press. June 16, 2010. http://dailyherald.com/story/?id=388150&src=109. Retrieved August 20, 2010. 
  26. ^ "The Bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group | Congressman Mark Kirk – 10th District, Illinois". Kirk.house.gov. http://kirk.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1306:the-bipartisan-us-china-working-group&catid=77. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  27. ^ House Committees, kirk.house.gov
  28. ^ "About Us". Tgpac.com. http://www.tgpac.com/docs/pages/about_us.aspx. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  29. ^ "Committee Members". Appropriations.house.gov. http://appropriations.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95&Itemid=138. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  30. ^ Pareene, Alex (2011-02-02) Mark Kirk doesn't support regulating carbon anymore, because Al Gore got divorced, Salon.com
  31. ^ Weigel, David (2011-02-02) The EPA Must Die for Al Gore's Sins, Slate.com
  32. ^ Chicago Sun-Times: Kirk 'OK' With Visa Bias Against Some Arab Men. CAIR-Chicago (2005-11-06). Retrieved on 2011-05-11.
  33. ^ By ALEXANDER BURNS. "Morning Score: Land of Lincoln – Alexander Burns". Politico.Com. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32364.html. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  34. ^ Sargent, Greg (September 15, 2009). "GOP Rep Gets Loudly Booed By Right, Performs Creative Flip-Flop". Washington, DC: Washington Post. http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/gop-rep-gets-loudly-booed-by-right-performs-creative-flip-flop/. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
  35. ^ smit9187: Collins, Snowe, Kirk, Voinovich, Burr, Ensign, Brown, Murkowski joined the. Huffingtonpost.com (2010-12-18). Retrieved on 2011-05-11.
  36. ^ Senate passes ‘don’t ask,’ sends repeal to Obama – Arizona News from USA Today. Tucsoncitizen.com (2010-12-18). Retrieved on 2011-05-11.
  37. ^ Snowe, Collins join majority in repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME. Kjonline.com (2010-12-18). Retrieved on 2011-05-11.
  38. ^ Eight Republicans back ‘don’t ask’ repeal – Shira Toeplitz. Politico.Com. Retrieved on 2011-05-11.
  39. ^ U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote. Senate.gov. Retrieved on 2011-05-11.
  40. ^ "Senate Vote 281 – Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'". The New York Times. http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/senate/2/281?ref=politics. 
  41. ^ Toeplitz, Shira (February 13, 2011). "Mark Kirk: Senate candy man". Politico. http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0211/Mark_Kirk_Senate_candy_man.html. 
  42. ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html. Retrieved 2008-01-10. 
  43. ^ "Live election results". Chicago Tribune. November 3, 2010. http://elections.chicagotribune.com/results/. Retrieved November 3, 2010. 
  44. ^ Sweet, Lynn (2006-05-05). "Kirk: Lawmakers' wife splits for D.C. – Lynn Sweet". Blogs.suntimes.com. http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2006/05/kirk_lawmakers_wife_splits_for.html. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  45. ^ "In the News – Full Article, In the News, News and Events, School of Law, Northwestern University". Law.northwestern.edu. http://www.law.northwestern.edu/news/article_full.cfm?eventid=2592. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  46. ^ "Microsoft Word - Kimberly Vertolli-Kirk Bio.doc" (PDF). http://www.wingsprogram.com/pdfs/Kimberly%20Vertolli-Kirk%20Bio.pdf. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  47. ^ "Rep. Mark Kirk's Divorce To Be Finalized". Huffingtonpost.com. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/05/rep-mark-kirks-divorce-to_n_212082.html. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  48. ^ a b [4][dead link]

External links

United States Senate
Preceded by
Roland Burris
United States Senator (Class 3) from Illinois
2010–present
Served alongside: Dick Durbin
Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Chris Coons
D-Delaware
United States Senators by seniority
86th
Succeeded by
Dan Coats
R-Indiana
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
John Edward Porter
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 10th congressional district

2001–2010
Succeeded by
Robert Dold
Party political offices
Preceded by
Jack Ryan
(withdrew)
Alan Keyes
(general election)
Republican Party nominee for United States Senator from Illinois
(Class 3)

2010
Succeeded by
Current nominee

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