Mark Kirk

Get it right or get out.

The Future Years Defense Plan contains very specific 'Pacific Engagement Wedges,' even though the review for the Pacific region has yet to be completed.

I strongly support the deployment of fixed and mobile broadband to increase economic development, productivity and America's global competitiveness.

USAID has made substantial progress in recruiting veterans.

I am the co-chair of the Veterans Jobs Caucus in the Senate, which is working to ensure that our veterans have access to and information about available jobs especially as they return from overseas.

What I would like to do now, in sort of a chess clock style, is take 10 minutes, with unanimous consent, to be equally divided between me and the Senator from Delaware on the subject of the balanced budget amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER…

Too often we have set-piece speeches in the Senate without any resort to the traditional debate, where two sides are equally dividing time without a set script on a critical issue before our country. I would like to restart the true Senate…

I would like you to have increased powers.

I think it's a nonstarter for the Congress to order a private concern to produce a pharmaceutical which it does not want to produce.

I would argue that we should then go further and say if you find that the drug is vital to the survival of a patient...

I agree with Senator Blumenthal that the Klobuchar legislation is good, but I would argue to go one step further.

I applaud Senator Klobuchar's legislation.

I'm particularly worried about their lives being lost.

With that, I yield and commend the Senator. We are hoping for two ``no'' votes because we think those are the votes that support Social Security and its continued revenue.

I would say, this is a very long payout, both under the majority and minority piece of legislation. I am hoping enough Members say no to both pieces of legislation so we defend Social Security, and I commend the Senator.

I would just say that I would underscore the conservator side of your mission because we have already lost enough.

I just would like to ask that, again, that we do do a Committee hearing on the European debt crisis and especially the exposure of U.S. institutions to that.

These institutions--one of the colossal failures in U.S. history, $182 billion now that taxpayers have squandered on these institutions.

So we really shouldn't trust what you say because you are not willing to back it up or even ask the actuary to do this.

You are talking about tens of billions of dollars of a government that doesn't have enough money, and you are not willing to do that.

No, but you didn't make the estimates. I mean, the actuary is saying to us, 'I don't have a back up for this.'

I mean, we are talking about tens of billions of dollars here. You already waste $60 billion a year, according to your own estimate.

Wouldn't it be kind of malpractice if you didn't?

I think you should probably call for an update on that because I am concerned that we may see a fairly bleak prospect of the current European Stabilization Facility meeting its goals.

When we look at Iran today, we see an accelerating nuclear program, an expanding ballistic missile program, and a wholesale disregard for human rights.