Dem senator wages filibuster, claims progress on gun control

US Democratic senators Chris Murphy (left) and Senator Richard Blumenthal depart the Senate floor directly after ending a 14-hour filibuster in the hopes of pressuring the US Senate to action gun control measures.

Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has expanded his call for temporarily barring foreign Muslims from entering the USA – even though the attacker was an American – and said the president “prioritizes” America’s enemies over its people.

He added that both sides should be in agreement that a suspected terrorist should not be allowed to purchase firearms and that law-abiding citizens should not have their rights curtailed if they are wrongly on a watch list: “This is not rocket science to figure this out”.

Murphy took office a month after the Sandy Hook massacre, which occured in his state.

“The fact of the matter is is that background checks wouldn’t have stopped the murders in Sandy Hook, but the families there are fighting hard for it because they know that it would stop thousands of people from getting illegal guns [on] the streets of our country”, he said.

The Pennsylvania Republican had carved out a critical role in the debate over gun laws when he teamed up with Democratic Sen.

Murphy introduced two family members of victims of gun violence – Tina Meins, whose daughter was killed in December in San Bernardino, California by a co-worker who pledged allegiance to ISIS, and Reverend Sharon Risher, whose mother and two cousins were all shot and killed a year ago Friday at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. When asked why, she reportedly said Cornyn-who received $9,900 from the National Rifle Association in 2014-“gave it to the N.R.A. Now, that would do it”. Chris Murphy stood on the Senate floor for most of Wednesday and into Thursday. Then, competing amendments by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein and Republican John Cornyn on curbing weapons sales to people on terrorism watch lists failed. Others chanted “Where’s the bill?” at House Speaker Paul Ryan.

They are also pushing for passage of legislation to close a “terror gap” and prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms and explosives.

“We’ve gotten to a place where we’re going to get votes on these important amendments”, Murphy said shortly before 1:30 a.m Thursday.

Murphy, who represents the state where the 2012 Newtown shooting occurred, led the filibuster-the eighth longest in history-on Wednesday, announcing he had “had enough” of Congress’ inaction on the issue.

The gunman, Omar Mateen, had made calls during the attack saying he was an IS supporter. Wednesday evening, Republican Senator Pat Toomey said that lawmakers were still working toward a potential compromise.

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican, Kentucky, has said he and his GOP colleagues are open to legislation that would ban such sales but only if it includes due process protections for individuals listed to appeal their gun ban.