A moment of silence is not enough — and doing nothing is not an option
The American people have had #enough, and so have I.
As a nation, we all witnessed a horrific tragedy in Orlando. Another mass shooting. A targeted act of terror & hate. An attack on the freedoms we all hold dear.
As we offer our thoughts and prayers, we also had to come to terms with the fact that they are not enough.
The question we now face as a nation is: Are we going to come together and stand united to do something? I understood it may not be easy, but I knew that we are better than this and it is past time to act together.
From the Senate filibuster led by my friend and colleague Senator Chris Murphy, to the House sit-in led by civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis, we’ve seen what happens when we give the American people a voice in Washington.
Together, we decided it was time to #HoldTheFloor and demand action to prevent gun violence.
That is why, when Senator Murphy started a filibuster on the Senate floor, I went down and joined him in what would be a nearly 15-hour stand to #DisarmHate.
I read the names of the victims of the massacre in Orlando and told their stories because they cannot be forgotten. Their stories need a voice.
“We must find the courage stand up, speak out, and act.”
The day after the filibuster, I joined a few of my fellow Senators and two incredibly brave women who lost family members in the mass shootings in Charleston and San Bernardino.
#NoBillNoBreak
Led by Congressman Lewis, House Democrats took unprecedented action to give the American people a voice. The #NoBillNoBreak sit-in was a call to action for Washington, representing the overwhelming majority of American’s who are demanding action on gun violence in our country.
Once I saw what was happening on the other side of the Capitol building, I decided to join their historic #NoBillNoBreak effort to shine a light on need for Congress to take action on commonsense gun safety reforms.
#NoFlyNoBuy
In the Senate, I voted for legislation to prevent people on the terrorist watch list from purchasing firearms. I also voted in support for closing loopholes that allow individuals to purchase firearms at gun shows and on the internet without background checks.
Unfortunately, these gun safety reforms were blocked in the Senate. But if all Washington does is agree to disagree, then we have failed to provide the leadership people are demanding to save lives from gun violence.
That is why I joined a group of 5 Republicans, 7 Democrats and 1 Independent in cosponsoring Senator Susan Collins’ bipartisan, #NoFlyNoBuy legislation to close the #TerrorGap and make America safer.
On June 23rd, a majority of the U.S. Senate (52–46) voted in support of our bipartisan proposal. This vote shows that if we work across party lines and find common ground, we can get something done.
Congress must act to prevent the easy access of weapons for those that shouldn’t have them. If you are too dangerous to fly on an airplane, you are too dangerous to buy a gun. If ‘no fly, no buy’ is our goal, this is a strong step to achieving that.
Now we need a real up-or-down vote in the Senate, and I will continue to push for one because doing nothing is not an option.
