Senator Mark Kirk made his return to Capitol Hill yesterday, nearly one year after suffering a stroke that almost cost him his life and forced him to relearn how to use the left side of his body. Kirk’s goal through recovery has been to walk the steps leading up to the U.S. Capitol, and he succeeded yesterday morning:
But relearning how to walk hasn’t been Kirk’s only focus during his months of rehabilitation. Since waking up from surgery last year, he’s also been working tirelessly to strengthen sanctions on Iran, as I outlined recently in the Weekly Standard. This week, Kirk gave an emotional account about what he saw while undergoing brain surgery (“angels” with “New York accents”), and how the experience has only made him more driven and goal-focused. With national security hawks like Senators Joe Lieberman and Jon Kyl stepping down, and Iran’s nuclear program becoming the U.S.’s main geopolitical concern, it’s more essential than ever to have strong voices on foreign policy in the Senate. Congratulations to Kirk for reaching his big goal, and best wishes for continued progress in his recovery.