Kirk Will Miss Part Of Senate's Lame Duck Session
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Republican Mark Kirk won't join the U.S. Senate in time for the start of the lame duck session, which complicates his pledge to fight any last-minute tax and spending bills.
The postelection session of Congress begins Nov. 15. State officials say Kirk won't officially be declared the winner of Tuesday's Senate race until late November.
That should still let Kirk participate in two weeks of the session in December.
Kirk's campaign would only say that he "looks forward to being seated as soon as possible."
Kirk not only won a six-year Senate term, he also won the right to serve out the last few weeks of the current term.
Congress has a busy agenda in the lame duck session, including a debate on extending all the Bush-era tax cuts.
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