I yield to the Senator from Connecticut for a question without losing my right to the floor.

I thank the Senator. The Senator from Illinois, like Senator Blumenthal, has been a leader and a hero on this issue since before I got to the Senate, and he is exactly right. The state of this Nation is not just this repeated story line of…

I thank the Senator for the question because of course this is a global fight against terrorism. This is not a battle that can be waged by one country and one country alone. The Senator is right that we are right now calling on our allies…

I thank the Senator. It is a glaring loophole, and it is unclear why it has persisted. This idea of closing the loophole has been backed by both Democratic and Republican administrations, and I think the Senator talked about how this has…

Thank you, Senator Blumenthal, and I want to thank you for your work on the Judiciary Committee for leading this fight to try to make sure that law enforcement has what it needs to protect this country. Again, I spoke to this broader…

Mr. President, I thank the Senator for that question. That is why it is so important to link those two pieces together. If you really want to protect this country from terrorist attacks by a firearm--as I stated before, that is the weapon…

Mr. President, I thank my friend. Let me put it to the body this way, through the Chair. This is also about sending a message to everyone in this country that we are serious about taking on this epidemic of gun violence, whether it is a…

I think that is a very important point, and I thank the Senator for making it. Let's be honest. The American people support the proposal that is in the underlying Feinstein legislation. The American people support the underlying…

Mr. President, through the Chair, that is exactly right. Let's make a start. I guess what is so offensive to the people Senator Blumenthal and I represent, especially in Connecticut, is that we have done absolutely nothing; that in the…

I yield to the Senator from New York for a question without losing my right to the floor.

I thank the Senator for his lifelong leadership on this question. I feel as though I am in a caucus of giants here, where people are coming down to the floor--from Senator Durbin to Senator Schumer, to Senator Blumenthal--who have all been…

I would be interested in the Senator's reaction when I answer his question, and then he can ask another question to follow up. People are going to say that Connecticut and West Virginia are very different States, and they are. There are a…