June 12, 2016 will stand as a gray day in American history. Fifty people were killed in a nightclub in Orlando, with dozens more were injured becoming the worst mass shooting on American soil.
Three days later, Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), an outspoken supporter of gun control, launched a 15-hour filibuster on the senate floor, which was the first of several failed attempts to pass gun legislation in Congress this past June.
“I can’t tell you how hard it is to look into the eyes the families of those little boys and girls who were killed in Sandy Hook, and tell them that almost four years later we’ve done nothing, nothing,” pleaded Murphy on the Senate floor.
Now in October, Senator Murphy is working hard to pass commonsense gun legislation, along with electing a president who is looking to work for the same ideals. Murphy points out that the issue of gun safety only exists in Republican-controlled Washington.
A study from Quinnipiac University shows that 93% of Americans believe that every person who buys a gun should have a background check performed. The same study shows that 86% of Americans believe that people on the terror watch list should not be allowed to buy a gun. Murphy blames groups like the NRA for the gridlock in Congress over these issues.
“The gun lobby essentially has a vice grip on the Republican Party in Washington,” Murphy added, “I don’t think they will be in power forever, but it’s going to take a lot of work to get these things passed.”
In his walk across Connecticut this past summer, Senator Murphy learned a lot about what the people really want from their government and the different investments that need to be made here in state.
“I came back from the walk feeling like it was more important than ever for Congress to start working on raising wages for workers,” he said.
Murphy believes in raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. He also thinks that the government needs to be making more investments in education, infrastructure, science, and technology. These ideas came from walking around Connecticut and realizing that citizens can not pay the bills, even when working full time and even more than one job.
Senator Murphy is also a strong advocate in climate change. He has made calls on Congress to adopt a new style of thinking when it comes to clean energy, as many Democrats are doing as well.
“It’s amazing to me how so many people in Congress are in denial of basic science,” he said.
Murphy blames the fossil fuel industry for filling the pockets and minds of his Republican counterparts, who refuse to stray from traditional methods and move towards clean energy. He also believes that this issue will tip in his favor eventually, after more convincing and hard work.
Murphy has endorsed Hillary Clinton for President in the upcoming election, and believes that under her leadership and a cooperative Congress, these hot-button issues can be swayed to favor the Democratic agenda.
