March 30, 2001
For Immediate Release

Congressman Kirk Addresses Local Needs With His Additions to FY02 Budget

Deerfield, IL -- Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL) voted Wednesday to pass the Fiscal Year 2002 (FY02) budget resolution (H. Con. Res 83) brought forward by the House Budget Committee. Rep. Kirk, a new member of the Budget Committee, focused his contributions to the FY02 budget on local needs including; Impact Aid, the 10^th Congressional District’s growing military community, and funding for the National Institutes of Health.

Rep. Kirk drafted soon to be introduced legislation designed to improve the military "Impact Aid" program which funds local school districts impacted by military children or other federal housing. To improve quality of life issues in the military and relieve some burdens placed on our local schools, Rep. Kirk added the following language to the budget,

"The committee strongly supports funding for the education of dependents of military personnel. Payments to school districts accepting these children, made under the Impact Aid program, are necessary to ensure that local school districts receive full compensation for their students living on federal property. The Impact Aid program is intended to fill a gap created by the federal government, Congress must fully fund this program to ensure that all children have access to the best possible education."

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Rep. Kirk placed special focus on including language in this year’s budget on defense matters focusing on the need to revitalize our nation’s defenses and recommending particular attention be paid to a ballistic missile defense for the United States and its allies, electronic warfare, and Naval training. The 10^th District is home to Great Lakes Naval Training Center, where the number of Navy recruits is expected to grow from 50,000 to 70,000 in coming years. As the Navy grows, Rep. Kirk will focus on the positive impact, especially on economic development, that base expansion will have on local communities and small businesses.

Rep. Kirk also included language in the budget encouraging more accurate forecasting models be used by the Congressional Budget Office that anticipate economic responses to changes in government policy. Kirk also added language to the foreign assistance portion of the budget requesting the full funding for the President’s international affairs request, especially military aid to our Israeli allies.

Highlighting recent ground breaking biomedical research, Rep. Kirk also reiterated his support for doubling funding at the National Institutes of Health. To that end, he added the following budget language,

"The National Institutes of Health is the world’s leading biomedical research institution…This research has produced major advances in the treatment of countless diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, which effect millions of American families."

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