I had planned to come to the floor this evening, as we do every Monday, to talk about the importance of climate change and the importance of this country addressing an issue that is so critical in front of us. But it seems tonight that…

All of the Members who worked on the bill, Senators Toomey, Kirk, and Schumer, all of us got together on that. There had to be--basically, one of our largest gun organizations brought us to task saying: We supported background checks 10 or…

Mr. President, I come from a State where, like most of the rural States in America, there are an awful lot of people who live a solid life. There is a thing back home that we call a person having either common sense or nonsense, and now we…

Mr. President, last week Senator Toomey, my dear friend from Pennsylvania, and I introduced this important piece of bipartisan legislation with our colleagues Senator Kirk and Senator Schumer. It is called the Public Safety and Second…

I thank the good Senator from Pennsylvania. I appreciate that. I think what he said is spot-on. He is basically saying it preserves important exemptions of background checks that are in current law, such as the temporary transfers. That…

Mr. President, I think we all have letters such as Senator Toomey read right now and people looking for what we call gun sense, which goes right along with common sense. There is so much out there about the bill. Let me just reiterate a…

I would say that more than 90 percent of the background checks in America that are done are less than 3 minutes, and probably even no more than a minute and a half. So in that range. That tells you about how quick it can be done.

Mr. President, if my friend will yield, if I may, I would like to mention that we also discussed including an incentive so someone can't say that is an unfunded mandate. That provision is not an unfunded mandate, I say to my colleague.

I wish to thank my good friend, the Senator from Montana. I know how many calls he has received and the pressure. I know this because of all of the misconceptions and untruths. He did something we are asking all of our colleagues to do. He…

I wish to thank Senator Toomey for his hard work, to be involved, informed, and to bring his expertise to the discussion we have had with our colleagues. As he has been speaking we have been joined by our good friend Senator Tester from…

At 5:30 p.m. on Monday there will be a rollcall vote on confirmation of the O'Connell nomination to be a U.S. district judge in California. ____________________

Mr. President, I have an amendment at the desk and I ask for its consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment. The legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Manchin] for himself…

I ask unanimous consent that on Monday, April 15, 2013, at 5 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 21; that there be 30 minutes for debate equally divided in the usual form; that…

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 6:37 p.m., adjourned until Monday, April 15, 2013, at 2 p.m…

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, April 15, 2013; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved…

I appreciate the cooperation and friendship of the senior Senator from Vermont. Mr. President, yesterday on the floor I discussed an initiative I launched this week called Protect2A to give voice to the millions of second amendment…

I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Delaney). {time} 1310

Before further yielding, I am going to yield 30 seconds to the gentlelady from Connecticut to respond. Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I would tell my colleague that, in fact, this body, under different leadership than this current majority…