Illinois U.S. Senate Candidate Spending Analysis – Mark Kirk
Total Net Spending Agenda: $734
million
Economy,
Transportation, and Infrastructure:
$3.181 billion
A. Lock-and-Dam
Upgrades:
“As Senator, Mark Kirk will work to upgrade and expand our
river infrastructure to bring our lock-and-dam system into the 21st century.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?page_id=377
Cost: $21 million ($103
million over five years).
Source: Related
legislation has been introduced in the form of H.R. 1770 (111th
Congress), the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2009. H.R. 1770 was previously introduced in the
110th Congress as H.R. 3224.
The estimate is from a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report for H.R.
3224 (110th Congress). www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/85xx/doc8552/hr3224.pdf.
Representative Kirk did not sponsor either bill.
B. Transportation
Infrastructure:
“In addition, investments in rail and improvements to our
interstate highway system will restore our state’s position as the nation’s
economic crossroads.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?page_id=377
Cost: Unknown.
Note: Representative Kirk
is a cosponsor of H.R. 3725 (111th Congress), the National Highway
Chokepoint Congestion Relief Act. The
measure would authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants
available to reduce traffic congestion in national chokepoint regions. A cost estimate is not available.
C. Expand Regional
Rail Service:
- “Connecting the Bloomington-Normal market with
the Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail line is an important piece of the
region’s economy that Mark Kirk will take to the Senate.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2706
- “As Senator, Mark Kirk will support Peoria’s
push to expand rail service to Normal and connect the Peoria market to the St.
Louis-Chicago line.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1792
-
“As Illinois’ next senator, Mark Kirk supports
establishing a direct passenger rail line between Chicago and the Quad Cities.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2616
- “As a Senator, he will continue his support and
back Springfield’s pursuit of high-speed rail access.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1691
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The Department of
Transportation received $8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
funding for high-speed rail projects.
The Department notes that this is in addition to the $1 billion in
funding that the President has requested for each of the next five fiscal years.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/PubAffairs/dot18-10.pdf
It is unknown how much additional funding Representative Kirk
might support.
D. Regional Airport
Expansion:
- “The Central Illinois Regional Airport is
critical to Bloomington-Normal’s economy.
As Senator, Mark Kirk will back efforts to continue airport
modernization and expansion to help the needs of one of Illinois’
fastest-growing regions.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2706
- “The airport is a vital component of the
economic future for the Quad Cities. As
Senator, Congressman Kirk will support its modernization and expansion.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2616
- “As Senator, Mark Kirk will back efforts to
continue airport modernization and expansion [at General Wayne A. Downing
International Airport in Peoria].”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1792
- “Congressman Kirk will work closely with local
officials to continue attracting both national and international cargo
companies as well as assisting in the ongoing efforts to grow passenger service
and fully utilize [Chicago-Rockford International Airport’s] capacity,
including support of the $5 million taxiway rehabilitation project.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1265
- “As Senator, Mark Kirk will back efforts to
continue airport modernization and further utilize the MidAmerica Airport.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2992
- “The Willard Airport, which is owned and
operated by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and serves as a
research tool for the university, is key to the area’s economy. As Senator, Mark Kirk will support
modernization and expansion of the Willard Airport.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2887
Cost: $2.776 billion
($8.329 billion over three years).
Source: H.R. 915 (111th
Congress), the Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization Act of
2009, would authorize funding for airport planning and development, among other
things. A CBO estimate is available. http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=10096&sequence=0&from=6
Representative Kirk did not sponsor H.R. 915. However, he did support the measure on
passage.
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll291.xml
E. Small Business
Bill of Rights:
“Congressman Kirk is the only candidate in this race to
propose a Small Business Bill of Rights to protect small businesses from higher
taxes, rising health care and energy costs and increasing government red tape.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2706
Cost: $11 million ($22
million over two years).
Source: Representative
Kirk is the sponsor of H.R. 5109 (111th Congress), a bill to establish a tax, regulatory, and
legal structure in the United States that encourages small businesses to expand
and innovate, and for other purposes.
The text authorizes the funding.
F. International
Trade Agreements:
“Allowing exporters to reach new markets is critical for
economic growth to continue. That is why
Mark Kirk supports passage of the South Korea, Panama and Colombia Free Trade
Agreements.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2616
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The primary impact of free trade bills is generally on
federal revenues. Depending on the terms
of the agreement, there may be some outlays as well. For example, CBO projects that H.R. 3688, the
United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (110th Congress),
“would reduce revenues by $20 million in 2008, increase revenues by $292
million over the 2008-2012 period, and reduce revenues by $423 million over the
2008-2017 period. CBO estimates that
enacting H.R. 3688 also would increase direct spending by $4 million in 2008
and by $27 million over the 2008-2012 period, and reduce direct spending by
$443 million over the 2008-2017 period. Further, CBO estimates that
implementing the legislation would result in new discretionary spending of less
than $500,000 per year, assuming the availability of appropriated funds.”
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdoc.cfm?index=8790&type=1
G. Revitalize
Rockford:
“We must work to expand incentives to bring business to the
area, focusing on SBA HUBZones to promote job growth, capital investment, and
economic development to historically underutilized business zones. This includes reinvesting in existing infrastructure
by cleaning up EPA Brownfield sites to build a strong downtown that can be a
boon for the economy.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1265
Cost: $373 million ($1.865
billion over five years).
Source: Related
legislation has been introduced in the form of H.R. 4188 (111th
Congress), to authorize appropriations for Brownfields site assessment and
cleanup, and for other purposes.
Estimate is based on budget data and the text of the bill.
Education, Science,
and Research: $86 million
A. Rural
Entrepreneurship Program:
“We must support the establishment of a rural
entrepreneurship program with Illinois State University to provide rural
entrepreneurs with resources from counseling with the Small Business
Development Center staff to access to economic development professionals so
their businesses can thrive and expand.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2706
Cost: $66 million ($330
million over five years).
Source: Related
legislation has been introduced in the form of H.R. 2352 (111th
Congress), the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act of 2009. Title VII of the bill would authorize grants
to Small Business Development Center programs.
A CBO cost estimate is available.
http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=10219&sequence=0&from=6
While Representative Kirk was not a cosponsor of H.R. 2352, he
did vote for it on passage.
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll281.xml.
B. Education for
Health Care Providers:
- “Educating future health care providers should
remain a priority. Mark Kirk will work
to support programs at Trinity College of Nursing and Health Sciences and other
important education institutions in the region.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2616
- “We must continue to support top-notch training
facilities like the Carle Foundation Medical Center which is the primary
teaching hospital for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and
recently received the highest honor for nursing care in the country.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2887
Cost: $20 million ($100
million over five years).
Source: Related
legislation has been introduced in the form of H.R. 724 (111th
Congress), the America’s Partnership for Nursing Education Act of 2009. The text authorizes the funding. Representative Kirk is not a cosponsor of the
legislation.
C. Workforce
Education:
“Mark Kirk will continue to support workforce education as
he has in his 10th Congressional District.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2616
Cost: Unknown.
D. Boost Federal
Research Programs:
- “As a Senator, Mark Kirk will work to boost
federal National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and
Department of Defense research at SIU [Southern Illinois University].”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1946
- “Mark Kirk will help boost federal research
funding [at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign] and help foster the
transition of research capabilities to area companies.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2887
Cost: Unknown.
E. Public-Private
Partnerships:
“He will also propose that SIU [Southern Illinois
University] become a testbed for public-private partnerships to bring venture
capital to foster the transition of university research into Southern Illinois
companies.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1946
Cost: Unknown.
F. Support Community
Colleges:
“As a Senator, Mark Kirk will support community
colleges like John A. Logan, Southwestern Illinois College, Rend Lake College
and Shawnee Community College.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1946
Cost: Unknown.
G. Rockford College
Infrastructure Upgrades:
“Rockford College is the only four-year institution in
Rockford and we must continue to support it with infrastructure upgrades to
improving programs to help increase the quality of education in Rockford.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1265
Cost: Unknown.
Note: According to the President
of Rockford College earlier this year, “… Congressman [Don] Manzullo and
Senator [Dick] Durbin have joined forces to support earmarks totaling $745,000
over the past three years. These funds
have been used to upgrade our technology, classrooms and science
equipment.” It is unknown how much
additional funding Representative Kirk might support.
http://www.rockford.edu/news/36724/Weekly-Update.htm
Energy, Agriculture,
and the Environment: $17 million
A. Expand the U.S.
Commercial Service:
“As a Senator, Mark will fight to expand the Foreign
Commercial Service … [to] help Illinois farmers and businesses establish and
expand exports to growing markets.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?page_id=377
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The U.S. Commercial
Service is part of the Department of Commerce’s International Trade
Administration (ITA). According to ITA,
“The President’s $534.3 million request [for Fiscal Year 2011] represents a
19.9 percent increase from the FY 2010 request, and an 18.2 percent increase
from the FY 2010 budget enacted by Congress.
The request is the highest ever for ITA.” http://trade.gov/press/press_releases/2010/budget_020110.asp
It is unclear how much additional funding Representative Kirk
might support.
B. Expand the Small
Business Administration:
“As a Senator, Mark will fight to expand … the Small
Business Administration … [to] help Illinois farmers and businesses establish
and expand exports to growing markets.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?page_id=377
Cost: $17 million ($85
million over five years).
Source: Representative
Kirk is a cosponsor of H.R. 2310 (111th Congress), a bill to
authorize assistance to small- and medium-sized businesses to promote exports
to the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes. The text authorizes the funding.
C. Expand the
Department of Agriculture:
“As a Senator, Mark will fight to expand … the U.S.
Department of Agriculture … [to] help
Illinois farmers and businesses establish and expand exports to growing
markets.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?page_id=377
Cost: Unknown.
Source: Under the
President’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget request, the Department of Agriculture
would receive $27 billion in discretionary budget authority – $1 billion less than
in Fiscal Year 2010. Total spending
would rise to $149 billion, up from $135 billion the previous year, due to an
increase in mandatory budget authority.
It is unknown how much additional funding Representative Kirk might
support.
http://www.usda.gov/2010/02/0043.xml
D. Expand the U.S.
Trade Development Agency:
“As a Senator, Mark will fight to expand … the U.S. Trade
Development Agency … [to] help Illinois farmers and businesses establish and
expand exports to growing markets.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?page_id=377
Cost: Unknown.
Source: The U.S. Trade and
Development Agency received $55.2 million for Fiscal Year 2010. The Administration has requested $56.2
million, equivalent to an additional $1 million for Fiscal Year 2011. http://www.ustda.gov/otherinfo/FY2011_CongressionalBudgetJustification.pdf
E. Lower Energy
Costs:
“To lower energy costs, Mark supports nuclear energy, Yucca
Mountain, offshore energy exploration and the trans-Canada pipeline. He also supports streamlining approvals for
new refineries and transmission facilities.
As a Senator, Mark will support a permanent production tax credit for
renewable energy in hydro, win[d], solar and biomass.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?page_id=377
Cost: Unknown.
Source: Representative
Kirk was the sponsor of H.R. 6385 (110th Congress), a bill to
provide a large-scale national effort to improve the state of our national
security, economy and environment by providing market incentives to produce and
deploy alternative energy solutions and reduce our dependence on foreign
oil. A cost estimate is not available.
F. Shawnee National
Forest:
“As a Senator, Mark Kirk will work to protect our natural
resources like the Shawnee National Forest and ensure that Southern Illinois
tourism thrives in the 21stcentury [sic].”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1946
Cost: Unknown.
Health Care: -$2.575 billion (savings)
A. Expand Access and
Lower Costs:
“As Senator, Mark Kirk will fight to protect local hospitals
from cuts to Medicare and promote policies that allow health care providers to
expand access and lower costs.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2706
Cost: Unknown.
Source: Representative
Kirk is on record as opposing reductions in Medicare spending necessitated by
the Sustainable Growth Rate in current law. http://www.facs.org/ahp/berkley-kirk043009.pdf
It is unknown whether Representative Kirk would support other
spending reductions to offset the elimination of the Medicare cuts. Additionally, Representative Kirk is the
sponsor of H.R. 3970 (111th Congress), a bill to protect the
doctor-patient relationship, improve the quality of health care services, lower
the costs of health care services, expand access to health care services, and
for other purposes. A cost estimate is
not available.
B. Medical Liability
Reform:
“With Illinois’ state medical liability reform law recently
struck down, Congress should pass federal medical liability reform to stop the
exodus of doctors from the practice of medicine.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1946
Cost: -$2.575 billion
(-$10.3 billion over five years).
Source: In a 2009 letter
to Senator Orrin Hatch, CBO stated, “Tort reform could affect costs for health
care both directly and indirectly: directly, by lowering premiums for medical
liability insurance; and indirectly, by reducing the use of diagnostic tests
and other health care services when providers recommend those services
principally to reduce their potential exposure to lawsuits.” The agency estimated potential savings of
$10.3 billion over five years.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/106xx/doc10641/10-09-Tort_Reform.pdf
Homeland Security and
Law Enforcement: $20 million
A. Meth Labs:
“As a Senator, he will continue [to] support the needs of
local, state and federal law enforcement to crack down on meth labs, sales and
addiction.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1946
Cost: $20 million ($80
million over four years).
Source: Representative
Kirk is a cosponsor of H.R. 2541 (111th Congress), the Anti-Gang
Task Force Act of 2009. The text
authorizes the funding.
National Security and
International Relations: Unknown
A. Supporting Polish
Allies:
“As Senator, Mark will fight to protect Polish sovereignty –
and ensure the government has all it needs to stand up to Russian aggression.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?page_id=1015
Cost: Unknown.
B. Modernize the 182nd
Airlift Wing:
“As a Senator, Mark Kirk will support efforts to modernize
the 182nd [Airlift Wing of the Air National Guard] and gain new
missions for the unit.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=1792
Cost: Unknown.
C. Modernize Scott
Air Force Base:
“As a Senator, Mark Kirk will support efforts to modernize
Scott Air Force Base for the men and women in uniform and the community it
serves.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2992
Cost: Unknown.
D. Rock Island
Arsenal:
“As Senator, Mark Kirk will protect the Rock Island
Arsenal’s future and encourage its future growth to serve our Armed Forces in
Afghanistan and elsewhere.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?p=2616
Cost: Unknown.
Miscellaneous: $ 5 million
A. Museum of the
History of Polish Jews:
“Congressman Kirk also knows the importance the Polish
Government places on Holocaust remembrance – in particular, the restoration of
Auschwitz and the development of a permanent collection at the Museum of the
History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. As a
cosponsor of H.R. 1590, Mark will continue to work with the Polish Government
to support these efforts.”
http://www.kirkforsenate.com/?page_id=1015
Cost: $5 million (first-year
cost).
Source: Representative
Kirk is a cosponsor of H.R. 1590 (111th Congress), a bill to provide
assistance for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Poland. The text authorizes the funding.
PDF
Policy Paper
