Democrats have taken over the Senate floor for a filibuster demanding a vote on gun control legislation.
The filibuster is being led by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and he has been joined be fellow Democrats Joe Manchin (WV), Ben Cardin (DE), Elizabeth Warren (MA), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Dick Durbin (IL), Ben Nelson (FL), Chuck Schumer (NY), Corey Booker (NJ), and Ron Wyden (OR).
The Senators are blocking amendments from being offered on the appropriations bills for the Commerce and Justice Departments. As the filibuster began, Sen. Murphy said, “I don’t think that we should proceed with debate on amendments to this [Commerce, Science, Justice, and Related Agencies Appropriations] bill until we have figured out a way to come together on, at the very least, two simple ideas that enjoy the support of 80% to 90% of Americans. Two ideas, two pieces of legislation that would have been potentially impactful with respect to the case in Orlando. That is one piece of legislation that Senator Feinstein has introduced that would simply say that if you are on a terror watch list, that you shouldn’t be able to buy a weapon. Second, in order to make that protection meaningful, you also need to make sure that whenever a would-be shooter buys a gun, he goes through a background check.”
Murphy vowed to stay on the Senate floor for as long as it takes, “And so I’m going to remain on this floor until we get some signal, some sign that we can come together on these two measures, that we can get a path forward on addressing this epidemic in a meaningful bipartisan way.”
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Sen. Murphy spoke for the vast majority of Americans when he said that he has had enough, “Orlando is the worst mass shooting in American history.…Having come through the experience of Newtown, I’ve had enough.â€
Democrats are fed up, and they aren’t going to take the obstruction, excuses, and senseless deaths for one second more.
One more death in a mass shooting is one too many. Democrats are standing with the American people to demand action on mass shootings and gun violence.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
