I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

I come to the floor today to join my colleague, Senator Menendez, and I think some of our other colleagues who will be here soon, to reaffirm our commitment to the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. That act recently passed…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Begich). Without objection, it is so ordered. National Travel and Tourism Week

with summer approaching, the travel season will soon be in full swing, and this week we celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week. It is a time to call attention to the importance that travel and tourism play in our national economy and…

I would just like to point out we will be submitting that for the record.

I am pleased to join my colleagues from Connecticut and from New York and others who have been on the floor today to talk about the importance of addressing the--of avoiding, I guess I should say, the potential for the student loan…

I think it does raise, because it has not been adequately addressed by the administration, the important issue of how in the long term we will maintain interoperability between United States and European forces.

I actually think that would be a mistake if we look at the successes of NATO.

One of the most important things we could do to support Europe in addressing their fiscal crisis was to address our own at home.

Thank you very much.

Fantastic, that is a first-rate decision. We should have done it a long time ago.

If the Chicago summit is to have one overarching purpose, it should be to provide a credible reaffirmation of the transatlantic bargain.