I think this is a huge opportunity for our country to gain jobs, tens of thousands of jobs for every point that we gain back of the international tourism market.

I hope you will be committed to continuing that. We would love to see it expanded.

I think that is courage right there.

I think he believes that the ATF deserves better.

I think Senator Durbin has either put in or is talking about putting in a bill to put the ATF under the FBI.

I know they are important to you, so I am hoping you can address the concerns that have been raised.

I thank the ranking member for the time. I also thank him for his longtime commitment to American energy independence. I, too, share that. I have been the supporter of a bipartisan energy bill that brought environmental groups and The…

Repeatedly S&P promised that its ratings would be objective and independent even though the banks and other institutions hired S&P to rate these financial products.

The Manchin-Toomey amendment would expand the background check system to cover commercial guns sales.

I believe accountability is appropriate. I also believe that we need to change the model by which the credit rating agency is chosen by the issuer of the product and also paid by them.

I would like to thank them both.

Mr. President, I would like to associate myself with the wise words of my colleague from Missouri, whose State has experienced so much tragedy last year much like the devastation in Oklahoma. On behalf of the State of Minnesota, our hearts…

I have heard from a lot of Minnesotans who support the proposal regardless of their views on other aspects of the President's gun violence prevention initiative.

Under current law, someone who cannot pass a background check to buy a gun simply can go to a gun show or to classified ads and get a gun anyway.

Thank you, Madam Chair, for being here. It is nice to see you.

I am very sensitive to the 5-minute clock, and so I want to pursue a line of questioning sort of quickly here.

I am concerned. I don't think that got to the issue I was trying to get to.

I was pleased the immigration reform bill passed with a strong bipartisan vote last night.