Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy was speaking from the Senate on Tuesday several hours after a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school killed 18 students and a teacher. The Democrat, who was previously a representative of a district that included Sandy Hook Elementary School, opened his speech by recalling the trauma students experienced there as a result of the 2012 mass shooting that left more than two dozen dead.
“Sandy Hook will never, never be the same,” Murphy said, his voice broken. “This Texas community will never, ever be the same. Why? Why are we here? If not to try to make sure fewer schools and fewer communities go through what Sandy Hook has gone through. What’s going on in Uvalde.”
Senator Chris Murphy in the Senate on May 24, 2022. CBS News
He said his heart was broken for the Texas community. But he also took the opportunity to ask his fellow senators to act. Murphy described the US government’s failure to act after these cases of armed violence as “a silent message of support”.
“I’m here on this floor to beg, literally to get on my knees and knees and beg my colleagues,” he said. “Find a way forward. Work with us to find a way to pass laws that make it less likely. I understand that my fellow Republicans may not agree with everything I support, but there is one common denominator. that 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