Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

Date: June 15, 2016
Location: Washington, DC

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Ms. BALDWIN. Through the Chair, I would like to ask a question about the tragic massacre in Orlando.

I wanted to lead into that by first of all thanking and deeply appreciating the work and efforts of my colleague from Connecticut who has come to the floor so many times to talk about the lives and the identities and the legacies of the people who have lost their lives to gun violence and the families who are there to remember them.

I remember so profoundly the massacre at Newtown. Senator Murphy brought photographs of all of the victims and their families and told their stories at length on this Senate floor.

As weeks and months persisted here in the U.S. Senate and no action was taken to do commonsense things to make access to these weapons more difficult, the Senator from Connecticut started coming to the floor and talking about some of the people we don't read about because the media doesn't rush to the scene when somebody dies in a drive-by shooting or in a place that doesn't garner the attention and the spotlight the way the massacre and tragedy in Orlando has.

I thank the Senator from Connecticut for his perseverance, and I am so proud to join him this afternoon in this insistence for action. I am in such strong agreement with the Senator from Connecticut about the need to close what we call the terror gap and strengthen our background check laws because what we have seen over the last weeks and certainly on Sunday in the early morning is the nexus of hate and terror and easy access to weapons of war by people who should not have them.

I can't tell you how many times I have penned the words ``You are in my thoughts and prayers'' and spoken the words ``You are in my heart, in my thoughts, and in my prayers.'' I can't tell you how many times I have joined--either in my former service in the House of Representatives or here in the Senate--in a moment of silence. Silence is not enough. Thoughts and prayers are important, but they are not enough. We have to act.

I join many of my colleagues here tonight in the effort toward securing a vote by this Senate to make it harder--just a little bit harder--for people who hate and people involved in terrorism to get a hold of weapons of war. We have an opportunity because we have a bill before us. It is the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill.

I have the honor of serving on the Senate Appropriations Committee and being a member of the subcommittee. This is the moment, this is the bill, and this is our opportunity. I am not saying that had this been in law a year ago, a month ago, a week ago, that this wouldn't have happened, but our silence is unacceptable, and we must act.

We are better than this as a country. I can't tell you how many times I have woken up or heard midday of another mass killing--a crowd around the television set, hungry for news, wanting to know about who perished, who is in the hospital, and when is it enough. When are we going to act?

In the political world, we also, regrettably, fall into our--I don't know what to call it--comfort zone. Let's only talk about this as a terrorist incident, or let's only talk about this as a hate crime, or let's only talk about this in terms of gun violence. This is all of the above. We have to come together. We have to be united. We have to be strong in order to respond.

I also have to speak as a member of the LGBTQ community. This last Friday, I had the honor of going to the opening ceremonies at the Pridefest in Milwaukee, WI. They were celebrating their 30th year of Pridefest. In preparing for what I was going to say at that opening ceremony, I reflected on how different things were 30 years ago, in 1986. That was actually the year I was first elected to local office. I didn't have a lot of colleagues who were in the LGBT community in America, let alone the world, at that point in time. Boy, we have changed. We have seen such progress. After celebrating the opening of Pridefest in Milwaukee, I woke up on Sunday morning, as we all did, to this horrific tragedy in Orlando.

A hate crime is a crime that targets a particular audience, a particular group in order to send terror throughout that community--not just the victims but all who share characteristics with the victims. And in a month--June--which is Pride Month, when we usually celebrate how far we have come over oppression, over discrimination, over hate crimes, to wake up and see this was truly unspeakable.

Back to the legislating we do on the Senate floor, I will be supporting a number of amendments on this appropriations bill--the one that I came to ask Senator Murphy about but additionally an amendment that would add resources to the Department of Justice to help prevent and investigate and enforce our Nation's hate crimes laws. I hope those also will earn votes. I will be supporting the amendment of a colleague, Senator Casey from Pennsylvania, relating to including misdemeanor hate crimes in the list of offenses that should prohibit individuals from being able to acquire or possess weapons of war.

Back to our focus right now, our focus right now is on getting a vote on closing the terror gap, getting a vote on making sure that background checks occur with regard to every purchase so that you can't be rejected from purchasing a weapon and then run to the Internet and purchase a weapon that way or run to a gun show and purchase a weapon that way outside of the background check system.

One of the things that are so important is when the Senator from Connecticut came to the floor and showed the faces and read the names and told the stories of the victims of gun violence, massacres in Connecticut and in locations all over the United States. I have been so moved as I have had the opportunity to see the media begin to share with us information about the names and the lives of the 49 victims of this hateful attack.

Through the Chair, I want to ask Senator Murphy a question about the 49 victims of this tragedy.

Luis Daniel Conde was 39 years old, and Juan P. Rivera Velazquez was 37 years old. Luis, originally from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, was with his loving partner, Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, at Pulse. Both men were killed in the shooting. Luis was known by his loved ones as a fun- loving person with a great sense of humor. Juan, also originally from Puerto Rico, was the owner of the D'Magazine Salon and Spa in Kissimmee, FL.

Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez was 31, and Oscar A. Montero was 26. Simon was a manager at McDonald's who was well loved. He was known for bringing in cakes to celebrate the birthdays of each and every employee. Simon and his partner Oscar were killed just after returning home from vacation in Niagara Falls.

Christopher Andrew Leinonen was 32 years old, and Juan Ramon Guerrero was 22 years old. Christopher Andrew, who went by Drew, was with his partner Juan Ramon at the time of the shooting. Both men died. Drew had a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Central Florida and founded a gay-straight alliance at his high school.

Akyra Monet Murray was 18 and a recent graduate of West Catholic Preparatory High School in Philadelphia, where she was a top student and a top athlete on the women's basketball team. She had recently signed to play at Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania.

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez was 35, and Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon was 37. Jean and Luis were loving partners. Both men were killed in the shooting. The families of both men took to Facebook to share their love and sadness.

Edward Sotomayor, Jr., was 34 years old. Edward handled brand management for ALandCHUCK.travel, an agency that plans vacations for the LGBTQ community. On hearing the news of Edward's death, his boss, Al Ferguson, spent time with Edward's family at the hospital. He died while urging his partner to exit the club doors to get to safety.

Leroy Valentin Fernandez. Leroy was 25 years old. He was a leasing agent at an Orlando apartment complex and a vibrant performer who loved Beyonce, Adele, and Jennifer Lopez. His friend described her grief as ``it just feels very quiet now.''

Rodolfo Ayala was 33 years old. Rodolfo was a biologics assistant at the OneBlood donation center, a donation center that has been working to supply blood to the survivors of the shooting. His friend described him as compassionate and said he loved his career.

Brenda Leigh Marquez McCool was 49 years old. Brenda was a two-time cancer survivor and real estate agent. She was the mother of 11 and was at Pulse with one of her sons for a night of dancing.

Angel Luis Candelario-Padro was 28 years old. He moved to Orlando from Chicago and started a job as an ophthalmic technician only 4 days before the shooting. He was from Guanica, Puerto Rico, and described himself online as ``adventurous, easy going and responsible.''

Antonio Davon Brown was a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve. He had previously been a member of the Army Officers Training Corps at Florida A&M University. He was 29 years old.

Stanley Alamodovar III, age 23. Originally from Massachusetts, Stanley worked as a pharmacy technician in Claremont, FL. Friends have been taking to social media to comment on his ``bubbly'' and ``down to earth'' personality.

Amanda Alvear was 25 years old. Amanda was a beloved sister and godmother. Before the shooting, Amanda posted videos to Snapchat, showing herself and a friend, Mercedez Marisol Flores, dancing and enjoying themselves at Pulse. Mercedez was another victim of the shooting.

Darryl Roman Burt II, age 29. Darryl was a financial aid officer at Keiser University and a passionate volunteer. The president of the Jacksonville Jaycees, which Darryl was a member of, described him as ``always interested in a positive impact on the people's lives in the community.''

Juan Chavez-Martinez was 25 years old. Juan, a Davenport resident, was known by his colleagues as a kind and loving person. Facebook lists his hometown as Huichapan, Mexico.

Cory James Connell was 21 years old and well loved. His teachers described him as ``their all-time favorite'' student. His brother took to Facebook to share his grief: ``The world lost an amazing soul today. God just got the best of angels.''

Anthony Luis Laureano Disla was 25 years old. He was a graduate of the University of the Sacred Heart in Santurce, Puerto Rico, where he studied education. He was also a well-known drag artist in Orlando, performing as Alanis Laurell.

Deonka Deidra Drayton, age 32. Deonka, known as Dee Dee, was working at Pulse when the massacre occurred, according to a family member. ``Senseless,'' her aunt wrote on Facebook. ``Rest in peace Dee Dee. You know this Auntie will miss you.''

Mercedez Marisol Flores was 26 years old. Mercedez was at Pulse with her friend, Amanda Alvear, when the shooting occurred. She was a student at Valencia Community College and worked at the local Target.

Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz was 22 years old. Peter worked at UPS and spent his high school years in New Jersey. On Facebook, his mother thanked everyone for reaching out and expressed ``deep and immense pain'' at the loss of her son.

Miguel Angel Honorato was 30 years old. He was a resident of Apopka, FL. Miguel worked for FajitaMex Mexican catering. On Facebook his brother wrote: ``I can't face the fact that my blood brother is gone. May your soul rest in peace Brother. I love you so much.''

Javier Jorge-Reyes was 40 years old. Javier, of Orlando, worked as a supervisor at Gucci. He was originally from Guayama, Puerto Rico, and studied at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazon. Said one Facebook friend: ``Your energy and love of life and of all things beautiful was infectious. . . . You were one of a kind.''

Jason Benjamin Josaphat was 19 years old. He was an ambitious young man with many passions--computers, athletics, and photography. Jason's uncle described him as ``very excited about his journey.''

Eddie Jamoldroy Justice was 30 years old. He was an accountant and loved to make other people smile. He was able to text his mother right before he died on Sunday night. He said that he loved her and to call the police.

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, age 21. A Cuban news source identified Alejandro and spoke with his family and friends who described him as ``always very positive.'' He was able to contact his family at Pulse before he died.

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, age 25. Gilberto studied health care management at Ana G. Mendez University and worked as a sales associate at Speedway. He was originally from Manati, Puerto Rico.

K.J. Morris was 37 years old. K.J. was a bouncer at Pulse, known for her excellent dancing and amazing smile that could light up a room. She previously lived in Massachusetts.

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, age 20. Omar loved to dance and dreamed of becoming a performer. He grew up in Nashville, TN, and worked at a local Target and Starbucks.

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, age 36. Originally from Puerto Rico, Eric worked at Party City and Sunglass Hut. He had been married for about a year. On Sunday morning, his husband frantically called friends and family when he couldn't connect with Eric.

Joel Rayon Paniagua was 32 years old. He loved dancing and is remembered as humble and cheerful. He was also a religious man and attended church in Winter Garden.

Enriquo L. Rios, Jr., age 25. Enriquo was from Brooklyn, NY, and was vacationing in Orlando at the time of the attack. He had been working as a coordinator at True Care Home Health Care and studied social work at St. Francis College. His mother said her family has been ``torn apart.''

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rossado was 35 years old. He was the father of a young son and worked as an entertainer at Splash Bar in Panama City Beach, FL. He was a mentor to many of his coworkers who described him as ``quick with a smile.''

Shane Evan Tomlinson, age 33. Shane was a gifted singer who performed as the front man for the band Frequency. He had a vibrant and charismatic stage presence. He was at Pulse following a performance at a local club.

Martin Benitez Torres was 33 years old and from San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he studied at Ana G. Mendez University System. He was in Orlando visiting his family.

Franky Jimmy De Jesus Velazquez, age 50. Franky was a visual merchandiser at Forever 21 and studied at InterAmerican University in Puerto Rico. His family took to Facebook to share their love of Franky saying: ``What happened in Orlando affects all of us because it is an act of hate against the freedom to be who you are.''

Luis S. Vielma was 22 years old. He was a student at Seminole State College and worked as an operator for Universal Studios' Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride.

Jerald Arthur Wright. Jerald was 31 and was employed at Walt Disney World and was well loved by both of his families--his biological one and his Disney family. He was at Pulse to celebrate a friend's birthday.

Tevin Eugene Crosby. Tevin was a Michigan native and 25 years old. He was the ambitious owner of Total Entrepreneurs Concepts. He was visiting Orlando after traveling to watch his nieces and nephews graduate.

Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega. Jonathan was 24 and worked for a Spanish TV network as a producer of a popular children's talent competition. He was a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in Puerto Rico before he moved to Florida.

Jean Carlos Nieves Rodriguez was 27 and was a manager at a local McDonald's. He was known for being incredibly dependable. His closest friends describe him as ``just a caring, loving guy--just like a big teddy bear.''

Yilmary Rodriguez Sulivan, age 24. Yilmary was a wife, a sister, and a mother of two sons, Jariel and Sergio. Her sister described her as the most loving and caring person you could ever meet, saying her smile lit up the room and her laughter brought a smile to your heart.

Frankie Hernandez Escalante, 27. Frankie was a loving big brother who taught his little sisters how to walk in heels and do their hair and makeup. Frankie had a tattoo on his upper right arm reading ``love has no gender.'' Frankie moved to Orlando from Louisiana.

Enrique L. Rios, Jr., age 25, who I spoke of before. Enrique, from Brooklyn, NY, was vacationing in Orlando at the time of the attack. He had been working as a coordinator at True Care Home Health Care and studied social work at St. Francis College. His mother describes that their family has been ``torn apart.''

There are three more names that I will read and tell you just a little bit about who lost their lives in that massacre early Sunday morning in Orlando.

Paul Terrell Henry was 41. Paul was planning to return to college. He was a Chicago native and loved dancing and playing pool. He had two children, including a daughter who had just graduated from high school.

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24. Christopher worked at a local bank and was known for having a positive outlook on life. He was very close to his family and told family members earlier in the weekend that he planned to go to Pulse with friends.

Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, age 25. Geraldo, known as ``Drake Ortiz'' to his closest friends, was originally from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. He studied law at the Universidad del Este en Carolina.

Now, through the Chair, I would like to ask Senator Murphy a question about the 45 victims of this tragedy. As someone who has come to this floor and read the names, shared the images, and told the stories of so many in our country who have lost their lives to gun violence, does the Senator from Connecticut agree that the time to act is now, and that our thoughts and prayers for their deaths are important, but not enough?

(Mr. SASSE assumed the Chair.)

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Ms. BALDWIN. Thank you. Through the Chair, I would like to ask the Senator from Connecticut a question, actually about a number of things--about the need for us to stand united as a country in the fight against hatred and terrorism and easy access to what are really weapons of war. It is about 6 hours ago that I came to the floor to participate in this very important discussion.

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Ms. BALDWIN. Yes.

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Ms. BALDWIN. One of the things I did was read through the names and tell a little bit about each of the 49 victims of the shooting in Orlando. I am not going to do that again, but I do want to display their beautiful faces because I do think telling these stories is such an important part of creating the resolve we need as a nation, as a nation united to take action. Not to repeat too much of what I said earlier this evening, but our thoughts and prayers are no longer enough.

It gets me thinking about what will it take, how many mornings do we have to wake up to news of a shooting in an elementary school or college campus, a theater where people are gathering for a chance to escape and enjoy a movie, or as we learned last Sunday morning, a nightclub during June, which is Gay Pride Month, where people were celebrating the accomplishments of a movement and enjoying themselves and recognizing that we still live in a world with discrimination but feeling safe among friends, colleagues.

It was an act of hate. It was an act inspired by terrorists and terrorism, and it couldn't have happened without such easy access to a weapon of war. We offer our thoughts and prayers, but our thoughts and prayers simply are not enough. Again, it makes me think of what will it take? I am ashamed it has taken us this long.

Earlier I read some names. Now I am going to share a list of catastrophic events. Each one brought terror to a community, brought grief and sadness to families, and they have been reduced to ways of referring to them much in the way that we decided to call the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, 9/11.

If you just look back a decade, and this is not a database of all of them, but it is a database of many of the mass killings in our country: the Amish school shooting in Lancaster County, PA, in 2006, killed 6, wounded 5; the Trolley Square shooting in Salt Lake City, UT, in 2007, killed 6, injured 4. You heard Senator Kaine talking moments ago about the Virginia Tech massacre in Blacksburg, VA, in 2007, 33 dead, 23 wounded; the Crandon shooting in Crandon, WI, in 2007, 6 dead, 1 wounded; the Westroads Mall shooting in Omaha, NE, in 2007, 9 dead, 4 wounded; the Kirkwood City Council shooting in Kirkwood, MO, in 2008, 6 dead, 2 wounded; the Northern Illinois University shooting in DeKalb, IL, in 2008, 6 dead, 21 wounded; the Atlantis Plastics shooting in Henderson, KY, in 2008, 6 dead, 1 wounded; the Carthage nursing home shooting in Carthage, NC, 8 dead, 3 wounded; the Binghamton shooting in Binghamton, NY, in 2009, 14 dead, 4 wounded; the Fort Hood massacre, Fort Hood, TX, in 2009, 13 dead, 30 wounded; the Coffee shop police killings in Parkland, WA, in 2009, 4 dead, 1 wounded; the Hartford beer distributors shooting in Manchester, CT, in 2010, 9 dead, 2 wounded; the Tucson shooting in Tucson, AZ, 6 dead, 13 wounded, including my dear former colleague in the House of Representatives, Gabby Giffords; the IHOP shooting in Carson City, NV, in 2011, 5 dead, 7 wounded; the Seal Beach shooting in Seal Beach, CA, in 2011, 8 dead, 1 wounded; the Su Jung Health Sauna shooting in Norcross, GA, in 2012, 5 dead, 0 wounded; the Oikos University killings in Oakland, CA, in 2012, 7 dead, 3 wounded; the Seattle Cafe shooting in Seattle, WA, in 2012, 6 dead, 1 wounded; the Aurora theater shooting in Aurora, CO, in 2012, 12 dead, 58 wounded; the Sikh temple shooting in Oak Creek, WI, in 2012, 7 dead, 3 wounded; the Accent Signage Systems shooting in Minneapolis, MN, in 2012, 7 dead, 1 wounded; the Newtown school shooting in Newtown, CT, in 2012, 28 dead, 2 wounded; the Mohawk Valley shootings in Herkimer County, NY, in 2013, 5 dead, 2 wounded; the Pinewood Village Apartments Shooting, Federal Way, Washington, in 2013, 5 dead, 0 wounded; the Santa Monica rampage in Santa Monica, CA, in 2013, 6 dead, 3 wounded; the Hialeah apartment shooting in Hialeah, FL, in 2013, 7 dead, 0 wounded; the Washington Navy Yard shooting in Washington, DC, in 2013, 12 dead, 8 wounded; the Alturas tribal shooting in Alturas, CA, in 2014, 4 dead, 2 wounded; the second Fort Hood shooting--I can't believe I have to say that--in Fort Hood, TX, 3 dead, 12 wounded; the Isla Vista mass murder in Santa Barbara, CA, in 2014, 6 dead, 13 wounded; the Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting in Marysville, WA, in 2014, 5 dead, 1 wounded; the Trestle Trail bridge shooting in Menasha, WI, in 2015, 3 dead, 1 wounded; the Charleston church shooting, Charleston, SC, in 2015, 9 dead, 1 wounded; the Chattanooga military recruitment center shooting in Chattanooga, TN, in 2015, 5 dead, 2 wounded; the Umpqua Community College shooting in Roseburg, OR, in 2015, 9 dead, 9 wounded; the Colorado Springs shooting rampage in Colorado Springs, CO, in 2015, 3 dead, 0 wounded; the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, CO, in 2015, 3 dead, 9 wounded; the San Bernardino mass shooting in San Bernardino, CA, in 2015, 14 dead, 21 wounded; the Kalamazoo shooting spree in Kalamazoo, MI, in 2016, 6 dead, 2 wounded; the Excel Industries mass shooting in Hesston, KS, in 2016, 3 dead, 14 wounded; the Orlando nightclub massacre in Orlando, FL, this past Sunday, 49 dead, 53 wounded.

What will it take? How many times do we have to wake up to these tragedies?

I have the honor of representing the State of Wisconsin, and as you heard me read through that list, you heard that my home State, which I love, is not immune to these acts of violence. I just want to talk about some of the mass shootings in Wisconsin in recent years.

In November of 2004, during hunting season in Sawyer County, six hunters were killed and two were wounded.

In March of 2005, a gunman burst into the Church of Living God congregation during church services and fired 22 rounds, killing 7, including the pastor and his family.

In June 2007, five people were killed by a gunman, including twin infants, their mother, and two other victims in Delavan, WI.

In October of 2007, six young adults were killed during a party in Crandon, WI.

In August of 2012, a gunman killed six and wounded four, including an Oak Creek police lieutenant, when he opened fire at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin during Sunday morning services. He had a semiautomatic pistol, and as I mentioned, murdered worshippers before he was killed by the police. He also injured four others, including one of the responding police officers, whom he shot 15 times.

The victims of the Sikh Temple shooting were Satwant Singh Kaleka, age 65, and founder of that Sikh Temple; Paramjit Kaur, 41 years old; Prakash Singh was 39 years old; Sita Singh was 41 years old, Ranjit Singh, age 49; Suveg Singh, age 84.

Just a couple months after the Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, WI, a gunman killed three and wounded four when he opened fire inside a salon and spa in Brookfield, WI. The shooter was the estranged husband of an employee and entered the Azana Spa in Brookfield armed with a .40-caliber handgun and murdered three people, including his wife, and injured four others, including a pregnant woman.

The victims of the Azana Spa shooting were Zina Haughton, age 42, the shooter's estranged wife. According to witnesses, she heroically tried to stop her husband from harming others before being killed. Cary Robuck, age 32, and Maelyn Lind, age 38, were also victims.

In June of 2015 in Wisconsin a gunman killed three, including two men and an 11-year-old girl, on the Trestle Trail bridge in Menasha, WI.

We also had some success in thwarting what could have been horrendous mass killings in our State.

In late January 2016, a plan for a mass shooting at a Masonic temple in Milwaukee was thwarted by the intensive work of the FBI, and the plotter was arrested and criminally charged. I think it is important to note that while I have talked about these mass shootings, these mass casualty events, we lose so many Americans on a daily basis to violence in our communities, and it is an epidemic. Since those shootings in Orlando on Sunday morning, throughout the country we have seen at least that many deaths due to gun violence.

In Milwaukee, the local newspaper has taken to creating a homicide tracker. They are literally counting the homicides because they are so rampant. So far this year, their homicide tracker notes 51 homicides. This is just in one city in Wisconsin. Eighty-two percent of those homicides were caused by people using guns rather than other means.

I just want to tell you one more name and one more story. In May, last month, a little girl in Milwaukee named Zalayia Jenkins approached a patrol officer and asked if they could keep her safe. The next week, 1 day before Zalayia's tenth birthday, she was shot by a stray bullet while watching television inside her house. She died 11 days later.

Whether these murders were perpetrated in violent communities, whether they are the acts of terror and terrorists, whether they are hate crimes, the fact remains that we have to tackle this. When will be the time? The time is now.

It is amazing for me to see so many of my colleagues on the floor of the Senate as the hour nears midnight in Washington, DC. We have a bill before us in the Senate that is the appropriate opportunity to take up this measure offered by my colleague from Connecticut and another colleague, Senator Feinstein from California. It is the Commerce- Justice-Science appropriations bill. We can't let another moment pass without a vote, without doing everything within our power to make the world a little safer, to do more than hold these victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers. Thoughts and prayers are no longer enough.

Earlier today my colleague from Connecticut talked about the power of this moment and how people are taking to social media and urging their elected officials to listen and act. I want the people's voice to be heard. I want it to be so deafening that our colleagues who suggest that the American public for some reason isn't behind this--we know the opposite to be true. We know how much support there is for universal background checks and for doing something as common sense as making sure that people who are on the terror watch list are not eligible to purchase guns, something as simple as allowing the FBI to deny a firearm sale to somebody who is not able to fly on a commercial plane because they are being investigated for terror. In addition to tweeting, I ask Senator Murphy, what would he urge people to do right now to help us act?

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