U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy of Connecticut were among several Democrats who gave speeches in the U.S. Senate Monday night, calling on Congress to take action on stricter gun regulation following the Las Vegas shooting.
Senator Murphy has been pushing for tougher federal gun laws ever since 20 first graders and six educators were killed in Newtown in 2012. It’s a town he used to represent in the House. Murphy called out his Senate colleagues for responding to mass shootings by failing to take action.
“And I want my colleagues to understand the kind of pain that comes when the victims of this epidemic violence see nothing but silence from this body. The hurt is deep, the scars are wide in Newtown, but they are made wider by the fact that this body over the past four-and-a-half years has done absolutely nothing.”
Senator Blumenthal said it’s time Congress passed gun regulations that have overwhelming public support, such as federal universal background checks.
“Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Hand wringing and soul searching is needed. But it is insufficient. What’s needed now is action.”
However, Blumenthal warned against taking the wrong action. He gave the example of a measure that’s currently before the U.S. House that would make it easier to obtain gun silencers.
“This measure would pose an unacceptable risk to public safety making it more difficult for law enforcement especially in urban areas to identify gun shots, locate shooters and protect civilians.”
Blumenthal says the so-called Hearing Protection Act is a travesty and a dishonor to the lives that were lost in Las Vegas.
