Do better when we all do better. And i still believe thats true today and so do my colleagues who join me. We need to be focused on how we can help more women share in our Economic Growth and share in the american dream. I ask my colleagues to support and pass the paycheck fairness act. Thank you. I yield the floor. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from washington. A senator mr. President , i ask unanimous consent to speak up to five minutes. The presiding officer without objection. A senator thank you, mr. President. I come to the floor with my colleagues, the senator from minnesota and my colleague senator murray from washington along with the other women who have been here to talk about this important issue of paycheck fairness. It is truly shameful this kind of discrimination still exists and youve heard the statistics by my colleagues what the pay gap means but literally over someones career, over a 40year career in my state, a woman could lose as much as 500,000 of income and an ainian american week can lose 700,000 over a 40year career and a native American Woman can lose as much as 900,000 over the same time period. Ms. Cantwell yes, when women are discriminated against, it costs them and their families. Thats what this issue is. Its a family issue. Women are bread winners, too. Women today still earn only 79 cents for every dollar paid to a man and this means less food on the table or clothing for their children or insurance premiums. And so what we need to do is make sure were listening to these stories and acting. One student or one constituent of mine talked about when she was a student, a woman from olympia when she said i was in college in 1993 and i was working at a restaurant. The job enabled me to pay my way through school with no student loans. But a young man several years younger than me with less experience was making a larger wage. When i found out about this, i politely asked the owner why he was making more money. The owner was caught off guard and gave me no reason whatsoever. In fact, the thing that really stuck in my craw, she said, was the fact that the young man said that he had the job so he could support a gaming habit. She said on the other hand, i had no other recourse to pay for my College Education than to work seven days a week for five years to get my bachelors degree. Unfortunately this story isnt unique. Wage discrimination affects a wide range of professional fields. Realtor, educators, administrators, even c. E. O. s. For example, males earn 37 more per week than their female counterparts. In real terms the female surgeon turns 7 756 less per week than her male colleagues and this adds up. So women are 94. 6 of secretaries, administrative assistants yet they still earn only 84 of what their male counterparts urge. My colleague, senator murray, brought up the Womens National soccer team who helped bring this issue to the forefront. This besides being more successful, more viewers, the u. S. Team is still paid 25 less than the mens team. One of my constituents last week, an 11yearold girl from washington said, if i keep playing sports, am i going to get a fair pay, too . Young women are asking us to do our job, to make sure that we pass legislation that helps. Thats why we commend senator mikulski for introducing the paycheck fairness act and her tireless efforts on this legislation. Im proud to be one of its cosponsors. The paycheck fairness act requires us to pay for the job, not to discriminate against the gender. It would strengthen the penalties for discrimination and give women the tools that they need to identify and confront unfair treatment. It would make sure that we recognize that women are bread winners, too, and that we will get the equal pay that we deserve. Thats why my colleagues are coming to the floor today to say that we should pass this bill this year, that we dont need to commemorate another day of what women have done for our country but what we need to do is receive the equal pay for the equal work that we are doing. So i thank my colleagues for helping to bring attention to this, and i encourage the passage of this legislation. With that, mr. President , i yield the floor. The presiding officer under the previous order the senate the previous order the senate the senate in recess that senators can attend a weekly party caucus meetings. They will continue are on the federal Aviation Administration programs and policy bills. Senators spoke on the floor about filling a Supreme Court seat of justice Antonin Scalia. Chop grassley at breakfast with merrick garland. The presence nominee to the Supreme Court. He posted this photo on instagram along with the message had pleasant breakfast with the judge garland cant explain why the senate will not be moving forward with his nomination. Next president will decide after the people have a voice. Madamadame secretary, we proy give the delegates to the next president of the United States. [cheers and applause] next look at the future of the European Union and the possibility of britain leaving the eu. Refugees entering europe and the eus approach to Foreign Policy. The discussion was hosted by the Hudson Institute. What is the future of european, thats what were talking about today. What does it mean to say European Union as the democracy deficit . Super National Conference compatible with democratic selfgovernance . Will the british leave the eu in june . If so what does this mean for the european project . Will terminate the indispensable motor of european integration pullback from the dream of European Political Union . Love cultural, political and security challenge of radicalized islam both within europe and abroad strengthen or weaken the eu . What effect does Vladimir Putins russia on the politics of the eu . What does the refugee my good crisis ultimately mean for european political integration and the concept of an ever closer union . What is the future of the eu mean for the United States and the Transatlantic Alliance . We will be trying to enter somebodys questions this morning. We have an outstanding panel of experts with differing views on these issues and with differing views on the European Union itself. Now, im tickled interest in the democracy question. The European Union represents a new form of governance beyond the nationstate in general and the on the democratic nationstate in particular. Before we get started im going to quote three european leaders from the left, right and center, who in the very early days right after world war ii were concerned, this is before Charles De Gaulle and Margaret Thatcher voiced their reservations. These three were concerned about the future of democracy and an integrated europe. From the left, in opposition to the creation of european coal and Steel Community in 1950, British LabourPrime Minister declared that britain quote, would not accept the most vital Economic Forces in our country should be handed over to an authority that is utterly undemocratic and responsible to nobody. From the right, and at the same time in france, the leader opposed quote, delegating our powers to a stateless and uncontrolled democracy of experts. Soviets later in 1957, in opposition to the founding documents of the eec, which was the forerunner of the union, the founding treating of rome doctor former french premier stated, quote a democrat may abdicate by getting interventional to cater ship but also by delegating his powers to an external authority. That was his opposition to the treaty of rome. Our first speaker is todd huiziinga, director of International Outreach at the Aspen Institute for study of religion delivered in grand rapids, michigan. He is the author of the brandnew book. The book is entitled, well be discussing it today its entitled the new totalitarian temptation, Global Governance and the crisis of democracy in europe, published by encounter books. I urge everyone to get a copy. Its in my view, as ive written my review, the best book written to date on the European Union. He was an american diplomat for 20 years. He served as the political counselor at the u. S. Mission in brussels the European Union and as deadly chief of mission in luxembourg and an american embassies and consulates in hamburg, munich and frankford come in dublin, costa rica and mexico. Tshirt on the European Union desk at the state department in washington, d. C. He knows the European Union as few scholars and statesmen do. I believe it to mr. Huizinga. Thank you, john. Thank you, everyone for coming. I appreciate your interest. Things dont look too good right now in europe. Before the summer is out britain might decide to leave the eu. Greece is de facto come little more than a protectorate of International Monetary fund. The European Commission and the European Central bank. The system of travel across borders within the eu is in danger of being abolished. Devastating terrorist attacks have occurred regularly in europe since the 2004 mattered train bombings. Hows brussels and paris recently shall ask him the threat of jihad is to risen remains palpable throughout europe. So how did this all come about . In my book i continued the European Unions commitment to Super National, paneuropean governments overriding the sovereign powers of its members states is eroding democracy in europe, threatening human rights and putting the eu in principle on a collision course with the United States. There are five major arguments in the book. First, the eu is transforming europe from a continent of democratically accountable nationstates into the postdemocratic order in which voters have little say in how they are governed. Second, the eurozone crisis, the micro crisis increased risk of terrorism in europe are all intrinsically connected with the eus pursuit of its globalist supranational dream. Third, because at the different views on National Sovereignty and democratic accountability, the United States and the European Union are in principle on a collision course. And forth, the fact that europe is largely postchristian while the u. S. System of government is based on the judeochristian worldview, accounts for a radical difference between american and european views on the role of government. And fifth, many of the new human rights promoted by the eu are actually harmful to human rights because they contradict tradition, human nature and the fact that human beings are not just individuals but are also embedded in family, religion and community. I would like to concentrate on two things as the basis for discussion. First id like to give i a litte overview of what i believe what makes you tick and makes some comment on how it takes. Second of like to examine the clash of visions between the United States and the European Union. First an overview of the eu. What is the eu in its essence . That is the question. It is very hard to say what the eu is there anyone who attempts it is taking a big risk i guess im taking a big risk. There are so many different views, interests, goals, languages and people that coexist within the eu. Also the eu is unprecedented. Nothing like it has ever existed. Certainly European Union is unlike any other International Arrangement or organization that otherwise exists. For example, some people think of the eu as a free trade bloc or a customs union, but the eu is much more than, say, the u. S. , canada and mexico under nafta. Neither is the eu like any other International Organization that first glance might see this might seem comparable to take the organization of american states, the oas. Both the eu and the only a original organizations organizations. And just as the oas, an american including all of the states by the western hemisphere, so the eu is close to being paneuropean. But they are the similarities between the oas in the eu in. The 28th eu Member States with her constant coordination on every possible policy issue and theyre powerful, institutions in brussels and luxembourg are much more closely integrated than the Member States of the oas or any other International Organization. So the eu is much more than a gardenvariety International Organization. But neither is the you anything like a federalstate. The eu is not a United States of europe. The eu Member States continue to exist as independent nations. So what is the eu . When all is said and done, my belief is that when it comes down to is that the eu is a Super Nationalist project. The eu Member States in the interest of realizing an unprecedented degree of peace comes to build and prosperity are pooling and those really pushing significant elements of their National Sovereignty. They are ceding large aspects of their government and lawmaking powers to the super international, Super Nationalist institutions of the eu that are distinct from eu Member States and function independently above the National Level. The essence of european project, not just the nuts and bolts of how the eu works but the hope behind the european dream, the heart and soul and mind of the eu is precisely this Super Nationalism. The process of european integration arose out of the ashes of world war ii. And the determination of european leaders that war should never again rise of european soil, that file the conflicts among european nationstates, especially between france and germany, should never happen again. And this was a noble vision. Above all, this was an understandable vision, given the devastation wrought by world war ii and shortly before that by world war i. And despite all the problems that it has caused, this remains a powerful vision today. The vision of a harmonious and peaceful europe united in the European Union with instant cypriots and germans and french and spaniards and everyone else a working together for better europe and a better world. But the European Union is not just about europe. This vision of the eu, this Super Nationalist approach as a model for a new way, is a model for a new way to order the world. The eus Super Nationalism is all about Global Governance. Putting the eus form of supraNational Governments into practice on a global scale in order to realize world peace by overcoming the unlimited sovereignty of nations which the eu believes is the root of war among nations. And. As a model for Global Governance, the eu has real credibility. After all, the eu is is the only functioning model of how such Global Governance might work. So what is Global Governance . Most definitions that youll yol easily find are very technocratic. They dont get to the heart of the matter. Heres how i would define Global Governance following john fonte seminal work on this topic Global Governance is attempt to introduce a global rule of law in the interest of achieving an unprecedented degree of worldwide peace, stability and prosperity. Not via a one world government but rather by the development of an ever more comprehensive network of International Institutions that administer an ever greater body of International Law to which nationstates are subject. That binds nationstates not only in their Foreign Policy, but also in substantial areas of their domestic policy. They key to Global Governance is the development of a global rule of law whereby the windows exactly what is global rule of law look like in the end, if in and is even meant to be achieved. They key thing about the Global Governance ideology is also the eu has process. Constant process. Constant becoming. Ne