Senate Democrats' Filibuster Seeking Tougher Gun Laws Ends after Almost 14 Hours

[Hissyspit]

Last edited Thu Jun 16, 2016, 03:24 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: CBS News

@CBSNews: BREAKING NEWS: Senate Democrats' filibuster seeking tougher gun laws ends after almost 14 hours https://t.co/YLPZLJQjKE/s/kOU6

Senate Dems' filibuster for tighter gun laws ends in wee hours

CBS/AP
Last Updated Jun 16, 2016 2:23 AM EDT

WASHINGTON -- A Democratic senator upset with congressional inaction on gun violence led a nearly 14-hour Senate filibuster before yielding the floor early Thursday with a pledge that he and his colleagues would press aggressively for a legislative response to the tragedy in Florida, the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy ended a nonstop series of speeches with his Democratic colleagues shortly after 2 a.m. EDT after promising at the outset that he would remain on the Senate floor "until we get some signal, some sign that we can come together."

He evoked the Newtown school shooting in his state in 2012 in a plea that came as presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would meet with the National Rifle Association about the terror watch list and gun purchases.

"For those of us that represent Connecticut, the failure of this body to do anything, anything at all in the face of that continued slaughter isn't just painful to us, it's unconscionable," Murphy said.

"There hasn't been a debate scheduled on the floor of the Senate," Murphy said as the filibuster neared an end. "There hasn't been a debate scheduled in the committees. ... There are 30,000 people dying" daily in the country, he said.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-democrats-filibuster-for-tighter-gun-laws-lasts-into-wee-hours

[SunSeeker]

1. History made!

[Evar]

2. The NRA Bribe Totals to Every Congress Member

I think public shaming of the Republicans who are lining their pockets with NRA cash would be helpful in this fight to get sensible gun laws. NRACONGRESS.COM has up-to-date totals of donations from the NRA to our lawmakers, with photos. They can be easily posted to social media. Just do it!

[Judi Lynn]

4. Absolutely. As soon as possible. Thanks for the link. n/t

[Eugene]

3. Senate Democrats end marathon filibuster, announce Republicans agree to gun control vote

Source: Washington Post

Senate Democrats end marathon filibuster, announce Republicans agree to gun control vote

By Karoun Demirjian June 16 at 4:00 AM

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) ended a blockade of the Senate floor after nearly 15 hours Thursday, announcing Republican leaders had agreed to hold votes on Democrat-backed measures to expand background checks and prevent suspected terrorists from acquiring guns.

Democrats were angling for votes on the two gun control measures, which they are presenting as amendments to a pending spending bill, demanding that it was the least the Senate could do to respond to the Orlando massacre that killed 49 last weekend.

“We still have to get from here to there, but we did not have that commitment when we started,” Murphy said early Thursday, crediting his filibuster with pressuring leaders to commit to the votes, though he noted there was “no guarantee that those amendments pass.”

The Democrats’ bid for votes on their preferred measures intensified Wednesday as efforts to strike a gun control compromise with Republicans frayed.

Early on Wednesday, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) was in talks with a gun control advocacy organization backed by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg to craft a measure that Republicans could live with to prevent terrorists from obtaining firearms.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/06/15/sen-toomey-and-bloomberg-discussing-gun-control-measure-to-close-the-terror-gap/

[Judi Lynn]

6. Thanks. n/t

[democrank]

5. Grateful for their courage

Enough is enough

[onehandle]

7. We will no longer be terrorized by gun culture! nt

[MisterFred]

8. Only 14 hours?

Yes, it's good to show who's the obstructionists. But I was kind of hoping for more than just symbolism. I don't like this new trend of a "filibuster" (it's just talking for a long time) intended to do nothing more than generate a headline.