Kirk gives national broadcast speech on Iran
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk gave Republicans' national weekly address to the country Saturday, directing stern words toward Iran.
"Stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons is the greatest challenge to peace in our time," the Highland Park Republican said. "After the Holocaust we promised 'never again.' We must keep terrorists from hurting our allies and our nation."
Kirk has been sharply critical of the tentative Iran nuclear deal outlined between Iranian leaders and President Barack Obama's administration and has called for stricter economic sanctions on the country.
"Lately, Iran has tried to backtrack on the promises they made to President Obama," Kirk said. "Iran now wants sanctions immediately lifted which would fund Iran's terror subsidiaries with billions."
The address is given to broadcasters across the country, and Kirk last gave the speech in 2009 when he was a member of the U.S. House from the north suburbs. Kirk won election to the Senate the next year for his first term.
Now, Kirk is up for re-election next year, and U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, has announced a bid for the seat in 2016.