Senate Democrats End 15 Hour Filibuster for Gun Control With Emotional Story of 6-Year Old Victim

Democrats Force Republicans to Budge – Maybe – on Gun Control

For almost 15 hours straight Senator Chris Murphy held the floor of the U.S. Senate and talked about guns, gun control, gun violence, and victims of gun violence. He could not leave, not even to use the restroom, or his filibuster for gun control would end. 40 Senators – 38 Democrats, 2 Republicans, and one Independent – joined on the floor to support him and his goal of getting Republicans in the Senate to agree to discuss two issues: preventing suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms, and requiring universal background checks.

Among his top supporters, there with him the entire time were Senator Cory Booker of (D-NJ) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

In the wake of the Orlando terror attack on a gay nightclub, our nation’s deadliest mass shooting, deadliest hate crime, deadliest terror attack since 9/11, Senator Murphy’s filibuster took social media by storm.

“I’ve been so angry that this Congress has mustered absolutely no response to mass shooting after mass shooting,” Murphy said as he began to end his filibuster. 

Murphy wrangled from the Republicans, who control the Senate, an “understanding,” The Hill reports, “to allow for votes on two Democratic proposals, but acknowledged ‘there’s no guarantee that those amendments pass.'”

It may be a start.

But The Hill adds this emblematic footnote:

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he is still trying to work with Democrats to see if the two parties could find an agreement on suspected terrorists buying guns but said he’s skeptical of Democrats’ intentions.

“We’re trying to find out … whether this is an effort to find a solution and common ground or whether this is just an effort to try to embarrass people,” the Senate’s No. 2 Republican told The Hill Wednesday evening. “I haven’t yet concluded which one it is.” 

As he ended his heroic filibuster, Senator Murphy told the story of the life, and death, of 6-year old Sandy Hook student Dylan Hockley, and his teacher Anne Marie Murphy, who died trying to protect him from the gunfire of a madman’s semiautomatic rifle in 2012.

Watch: