Chris Murphy

I really think when we look at our interest in a transatlantic relationship that is strong and a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace, it really has to be both.

I am not worried about an intentional attack against NATO. I do not think that is in Putin's plans, but I am worried that his activities do raise or increase the risks of inadvertent conflict.

I would say that there is--almost guaranteed, almost certain to have some sort of terrorist attack against a NATO ally by ISIL.

I do not think it presents the same existential threat that Putin's provocations and his geopolitical aspirations present the Alliance.

So NATO is an alliance not to counter Russian aggression. It is an alliance to counter all threats, all aggression.

I thank the Senator. This is an important start, but it is not sufficient. What is unacceptable is to do nothing. What would have been unacceptable is to spend this entire week on legislative business that was irrelevant to the epidemic of…

I would say in yielding to Senator Durbin for a question, just personally, it has meant so much to me to have Senator Durbin on the floor for almost the entirety of the now 13-plus hours. He is frankly a hero to those of us who showed up…

When you present these issues to the American public, they scratch their heads, or they scratch their heads because they assume already that individuals on the terrorist watch list cannot buy guns. They think it is absurd that we passed a…

Senator Kaine, they support it. NRA members support it at the exact same rate that non-gun owners and non-NRA members support it. In fact, NRA members, frankly, have been historically those who have been most supportive of provisions that…

Quite the opposite. They would rise to the highest level of concern for most of our constituents.

Whereas the First Amendment doesn't place the condition into the text--they are read into it--the Second Amendment has conditions in the literal text.

I haven't memorized portions of the Constitution as well as Senator King has, but he very eloquently stated for us the preamble of the Constitution, which commits us first and foremost to preserve domestic tranquility and to protect the…

The First Amendment is as important as the Second Amendment, but it comes with conditions and responsibilities. One of them is that you can't slander your fellow citizens. You can't yell ``fire'' in a crowded theater. There have been…

I am aware, and I wish that weren't the case. I wish that citizens through referendum didn't have to take up this cause on a State-by-State basis because of utter inaction from this body. I will cite statistics in a moment, maybe, Senator…

I thank my colleague from New York, and through the Chair, I yield for a question from the Senator from Minnesota without losing my right to the floor.

I thank the Senator. I think it is really important that we have the diversity of our caucus represented as part of this discussion today. Senator King and Senator Donnelly are both strong supporters of the Second Amendment. I am glad to…

That is correct. It is only controversial here; it is not controversial out in the American public. By and large, they want this done. So we have created a controversy that doesn't really exist in the living rooms and social halls of this…

I think that has been the difficulty in finding a compromise. The existing text gives the ability already for anyone who believes they are on the list wrongly to get off that list. That is why I said that we are just as concerned with…

I don't think there would have been any question that category would have been included. That is probably why 80 percent of Americans support the adoption of this amendment or some version of it.

That is exactly right. And I think my colleague very smartly referred back to the initiation of the background check system, where no one was contemplating a terrorist watch list or a no-fly list existing. It is the same thing with…

It is correct. It is correct, and that is an important facet of the amendment Senator Feinstein has submitted. But it is also important, as we remarked earlier--perhaps when you were on the floor, Senator King--to understand the scope of…

It will have no effect on law-abiding gun owners in Maine or anywhere else. This has nothing to do with those individuals.

It will not have any practical effect on the law-abiding gun owners in Maine, and that is whom you and I are talking to. The only effect it would have is upon criminals or felons who are attempting to circumvent our laws and get weapons by…

I think it is tragically instructive, I say to Senator Reed, to think about what happened inside that school in Sandy Hook. There were 20 kids hit, and 20 kids died. These are powerful weapons with the capacity not only to discharge an…

That is the same response we get. I just reflect on one of my earlier responses to Senator Whitehouse, that I have also heard fear in the wake of Sandy Hook from law enforcement about their ability to combat an individual who has staked…