Senator Mark Kirk News

The so-called campus carry bill is among legislation nearing expiration at the State Capitol and the bill is as good as dead, according to Democratic lawmakers.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers pressed the Obama administration Wednesday to reduce the backlog of disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs by improving cooperation between the several agencies that have a role in the process.

Gov. Pat Quinn announced today 14 more counties were approved for federal disaster aid to help people and businesses recover from historic flooding in mid-April. Counties approved today include Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Bureau, Crawford, Henderson, Knox, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, Rock Island, Schuyler and Stark.

A number of bills targeting Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program advanced in the US Congress.

Former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday released a statement in favor of marriage equality in Illinois, urging the House to approve the stalled bill.

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk was non-committal when asked whether he would support Penny Pritzker's bid for Commerce Secretary.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., will introduce an amendment that would repeal the Farmer Assurance Provision,which allows farmers who use biotech seeds to keep planting them even as courts reassess whether the USDA followed protocol when it approved the use of the seeds.

Then there is the congressional piece of the puzzle. This week the House will take up legislation by Reps.

As 79-year-old Gerald Lee slumped to the floor, he wondered why there were no chairs for patients at the registration desks in the Edward Hines Veterans Affairs clinic in Oak Lawn.

In its 2013 Infrastructure Report Card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave America's infrastructure a near-failing grade: "D-plus." Worse, our inland waterways, levees and ports were given a "D-minus" with an estimated $3.6 trillion needed to turn that around.

After failing to halt Iran's peaceful nuclear program with harsh economic sanctions, a group of U.S. lawmakers are proposing a measure to cut off Iran entirely from world oil markets.

Commissioners, superintendents, chiefs, directors, deputy assistant attorneys general, attorney general, ladies and gentlemen, may I start by recognizing two particularly important representatives with us here this morning both here to show their support to local law enforcement in the state or district that they represent.

Despite reforms to tighten prohibitions against animal fighting, a glaring federal law loophole remains: Attendance at an animal fight must be made a federal crime.

Log Cabin Republicans recently announced a relaunch of their organization, but it remains to be seen how much influence the predominately gay GOP group will have within the national Republican Party.

Sen. James Inhofe will introduce legislation Wednesday calling for increased drilling on U.S. federal lands to displace Iranian oil on the world market, according to a copy of the bill obtained by The Hill.

The U.S. Senate has passed, 69-27, the Internet Sales Tax bill, which would require online businesses to collect the sames sales taxes as their brick-and-mortar counterparts, according to congress.org. The bill now moves to the Republican-controlled U.S. House, where it would need to pass in order to become law, according to cnn.com. Niles Chamber ... (more)

An Iran sanctions bill being drafted by a bipartisan group of senators would make regime change the official U.S. policy toward the country, a religious anti-war group said Friday, expressing concern that the measure would increase the likelihood of armed conflict over Iran's nuclear program.

High-frequency trading firms increased their campaign contributions to federal lawmakers by 673 percent from the 2008 to the 2012 election cycle, according to a report that sheds light on their political connections in Washington and efforts to impact policymaking.

Sen. Mark Kirk will run for re-election in 2016, according to outgoing Illinois Republican Party chairman Pat Brady.

Advocates of the Equal Rights Amendment were cheered Thursday when a bipartisan resolution was introduced by Sens.