Scott and Abigail Herschmann, along with Yehuda and Roni Blinder, hosted U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) in Englewood for a pro-Israel NORPAC event on Sunday evening, July 10. Senator Kirk has made a reputation in Congress as an author or early co-sponsor of legislation halting Iran’s nuclear development. He was a staunch opponent of the administration’s Iran deal (JCPOA) last year.

At the event, Senator Kirk discussed Iran’s violations since last year’s deal. Of particular import to the senator was the hanging of homosexuals in Iran in the public view. This practice continues to happen regularly, stated Kirk, and he has made it a personal goal to let the world know about these incidents. He also discussed the various service members and citizens of the United States who have been killed by, or because of, Iran-backed terror. He showed several New Jersey residents on a list of these casualties.

Kirk has recently sought the support of both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to incorporate anti-BDS measures into Congress’s pending defense bill. This initiative began earlier this year with the Combating BDS Act of 2016, a bill which empowers state and local governments to divert taxpayer money away from companies that engage in boycotts and other economic measures against Israel. The bill was originally sponsored in the House by Reps. Robert Dold (R-IL) and Juan Vargas (D-CA), and co-sponsored by 103 representatives from both parties, and in the Senate by Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), where it also received strong bipartisan support.

Senator Kirk is running for re-election this November.