Murphy Demands Action On Gun Control In Maiden Speech On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) - U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) discussed the need for gun control reforms in his first speech on the Senate floor.
Murphy said when he was elected into office in Nov. he never imagined such a terrible tragedy taking place and dictating policy like the massacre in Newtown has.
He said the fact that 26 lives were taken in five minutes at Sandy Hook Elementary School cannot be ignored and demand action.
"The worst reality is this: if we don't do something right now, it's going to happen again," Murphy said. "We can't ignore the reality, because it's here. And on a disturbingly regular basis, it's here. In Columbine, in Tucson, in Aurora, in Sandy Hook. And the next town's name is just waiting to be added to the list if we do nothing."
Murphy Demands Action On Gun Control In Maiden Speech On Senate Floor
Connecticut's junior senator added that five Newtown students are alive today because shooter Adam Lanza had to stop to reload his assault weapon. Murphy wondered aloud how many more lives could have been spared had the magazine capacity been lighter.
As WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported, Murphy said liberty is not about having any gun you want any time you want. He asked to what extent are freedoms infringed up if just a handful of guns are deemed too dangerous.
The Democrat told stories of some of the children killed at Sandy Hook last December and said Wednesday that people outside Washington are clamoring for congressional action on gun control.
Murphy was elected in November and was still serving as a U.S. representative for the area including Newtown when the massacre of 26 people occurred on Dec. 14. He said a few days after the shooting he would judge himself as a senator by whether he worked enough to make something good happen from the deaths.
Murphy has aggressively criticized the role of the National Rifle Association in the debate over gun control since taking office in January.
Also Wednesday, two key senators have announced a bipartisan deal to expand background checks.
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