U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias made the following statement in reaction to Congressman Kirk’s trade speech in Peoria:

“We don’t need another speech to know where Congressman Mark Kirk stands on trade policy — he made his record clear when he voted six times for the dangerous corporate tax loopholes that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas.  The result is new jobs in China and millions of unemployed Americans.  That’s not leadership Illinois can trust or its working families can afford,” said Alexi for Illinois spokesman Kathleen Strand.

KIRK VOTED SIX TIMES TO ENCOURAGE COMPANIES TO SHIP JOBS OVERSEAS:

•Kirk voted to protect tax loopholes for companies that ship jobs overseas instead of using that money to keep 5,700 Illinois teachers in the classroom.  [HR1586, Vote 518, 8/10/10]

•Kirk voted against the American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes and Preventing Outsourcing Act, which would extend unemployment benefits and Recovery Act provisions and close loopholes for companies that ship jobs overseas.  [HR4213, Vote 324, 5/28/10]

•Kirk voted to give benefits to corporations that locate offshore to dodge U.S. taxes.  [HR4520, Vote 258, 6/17/04]

•Kirk voted against prohibiting corporate inversion.  [HR4931, Vote 247, 6/21/02]

•Kirk voted against penalizing companies that lay off a greater percentage of their U.S. workers than workers overseas.  [HR2871, Vote 120, 5/1/02]

•Kirk voted to give billions in tax breaks to financial corporations that have overseas operations.  [HR3529, Vote 509, 12/19/01]