Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy spoke from the Senate on Tuesday a few hours after a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school killed 18 students and a teacher. The Democrat, formerly a representative of a county that includes Sandy Hook Elementary School, began his speech by recalling students injured there after the 2012 mass shooting that killed more than two dozen.
“Sandy Hook will never, never be the same,” Murphy said in a broken voice. “This community in Texas will never be the same. Why? Why are we here? If not, to try to make sure that fewer schools and fewer communities go through what Sandy Hook went through. What Uwalde is going through.
Senator Chris Murphy in the Senate on May 24, 2022. CBS News
He said his heart was broken for the community in Texas. But he also used the moment to call on his fellow senators to take action. Murphy described the inaction of the US government after such incidents of gun violence as a “silent message of support”.
“I’m here on this floor to pray – literally to fall on my hands and knees and beg my colleagues,” he said. “Find a way forward here. Work with us to find a way to pass laws that make this less likely. I understand that my Republican colleagues may not agree with everything I support, but there is a common denominator we can find. There is a place where we can reach an agreement … “
He concluded, “What are we doing? Why are we here? What are we doing?”
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Sophie Reardon
Sophie Reardon is a news editor at CBS News. Contact her at sophie.reardon@viacomcbs.com
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