Senators Durbin and Kirk to sit together at State of Union Address

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In the spirit of bipartisanship, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today announced that they will sit side-by-side at the President’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, January 25. Traditionally, Members of Congress are split by party affiliation with Democrats and Republicans sitting on opposite sides of the center aisle in the U.S. House of Representatives chamber.



“Traditions that divide us were made to be broken,” said Durbin. “As we begin to heal after the tragedy in Arizona, it’s important to for our nation's leaders to show unity in the face of such a divisive act. But the real test of bipartisanship will begin the next day, when we go back to work to debate some of the most important issues of our time.”



“Sitting together as Americans rather than partisans is a helpful example of respect and cooperation following the tragedy in Arizona,” said Kirk.



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Sen Mark Kirk on Senate's Vote to Keep Tax Rates As They Are

"I voted for the bill to prevent a massive tax hike from hitting Illinois families and hurting our economy during this Great Recession. President Obama and Senate leaders agree that this legislation will help end the recession, adding jobs and restoring tax-rate certainty to this fragile economy. You can see a three-page summary of the legislation here. After enactment of this legislation, I will turn my attention to cutting federal spending, reducing the cost of Congress and the Executive branch to bring down the debt."