Watch Senator Chris Murphy filibuster for gun law change
‘I’m going to remain on this floor until we get some sign we can come together’
While debating a spending bill on the Senate floor, Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat representing the state of Connecticut, began a filibuster around 11.20am asking for legislation that would require universal background checks as well as deny suspected terrorists from buying guns.
Murphy explained: “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.”
Most of the Senate, including the Democratic caucus, did not know of Murphy’s plans to filibuster, but fellow Democrats Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey quickly supported him. Another dozen Democrats have taken turns speaking, although Murphy is still in control of the floor, and Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania became the first Republican to join when he began to speak a little after 3pm.
While the filibuster continues in the Senate, Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with the National Rifle Association, which endorsed the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, today. The organization released the following statement:
“We are happy to meet with Donald Trump. The NRA’s position on this issue has not changed. The NRA believes that terrorists should not be allowed to purchase or possess firearms, period. Anyone on a terror watchlist who tries to buy a gun should be thoroughly investigated by the FBI and the sale delayed while the investigation is ongoing. If an investigation uncovers evidence of terrorist activity or involvement, the government should be allowed to immediately go to court, block the sale, and arrest the terrorist. At the same time, due process protections should be put in place that allow law-abiding Americans who are wrongly put on a watchlist to be removed. That has been the position of Sen. John Cornyn (R.-Tex.) and a majority of the U.S. Senate. Sadly, President Obama and his allies would prefer to play politics with this issue.”
In 2012, Murphy was elected to the Senate about a month before Sandy Hook Elementary School was attacked by a gunman who killed 20 children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut.