I want to take a slightly different view than I have heard today on the issue of terrorism. I am on the Intelligence Committee. Every Tuesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon that we are in session we meet upstairs in a closed room. Ever…

On February 15, 2015, Dabiq, which is the sort of public newspaper of ISIS, published an explicit strategy for what they hope will become a worldwide conflict. The strategy is that westerners will fall into the trap of persecuting Muslims…

I wish to discuss with the Senator and bring back the point we were discussing some 4 hours ago. It is hard to believe that it was some 4 hours ago, but this is really a national security discussion. This is really a national security…

One of the odd things about this debate is that if this had been 15 years ago, I don't think we would even be having this debate. Background checks were generally uncontroversial. If we had would have had the terrorist threat, I couldn't…

And I find it hard to believe that if we were debating that law in 1993 under the current circumstances, that some cognizance wouldn't have been taken of the risk of domestic terrorists.

But my understanding is the amendment as proposed does provide a specific process whereby a person who believes they are wrongfully on the list, wrongfully denied the opportunity to purchase a firearm, has the opportunity to contest that…

Well, this solution being proposed, even if it only prevents 1 person, that could mean 50 lives or 100 lives. I think that is important. By the way, it is a dirty trick, Senator, to quote Justice Scalia on this subject. He did make it…

If you are for the Second Amendment, there are no limitations whatsoever, and if you talk about limitations, you are against the Second Amendment. Do you accept that characterization?

I thank the Senator. I thank him for his answers and thank him for his leadership on this issue.

By the way, I would mention that since the Senator has been on the floor today, 10 people have been murdered with guns. It is about one an hour. Since the Orlando shooting, 100 people--twice as many as in Orlando--have been murdered with…

Don't you think one of the problems with this debate as it has evolved over the past few years is that it has become a kind of either/or?

And that is really the essence of what the Senator is talking about. As I understand it, there are two parts of what we are talking about today. By the way, the Senator is not talking about an assault weapons ban or magazine control or any…

It will have no practical effect. They will still be able to buy guns in either place. They would have to go through the instant background check and the law as if they were a felon or something like that. Then they would be prevented. But…

But if someone says: Well, if that is such a small number, why are we bothering? Because it only takes one to kill a number of people.

I hope you will convey back to the Administration the importance that this committee puts on that position and that we believe an appointment in the immediate future is appropriate.

I say to the Senator, I have a series of questions and some comments. First, I come from a predominantly rural State with a very high number of gun owners, a very low rate of gun crime. What you are talking about here today, adding the…

I do not want the Swiss to eat the cheese.

I believe the bravest person in the United States was that 16-year-old boy who walked down into that hole about 100 years ago and discovered it.