Kirk introduces first Senate bill

Less than 24 hours after his swearing in to the Senate, Highland Park Republican Mark Kirk introduced his first piece of legislation, aimed at reining in Congressional spending.

The Spending Control Act of 2010 would establish a revamped Grace Commission originally formed in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan to reduce federal spending.

Kirk points out that unlike the current National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform put in place by President Obama, the new Grace Commission would be able to formally submit legislation to the House and Senate for “straight up or down votes.”

It would be comprised of eight members four Democrats and four Republicans. The chairman of the group would be named by the president. Recommendations on spending cuts could be put forward after five “yes” votes, with at least one vote required from the opposing political party.

Kirk says a commission would work in the style of the bipartisan commissions dealing with military base closures in the 1980s and '90s.

Kirk, who defeated Democrat Alexi Giannoulias by a 2 percentage point margin Nov. 2, has said his first priority is fiscal reform.