Tweet - "Nineteen children and two teachers--at an elementary school--were killed yesterday. The shooting at Robb Elementary School is heartbreaking. I'm live on the Senate floor demanding more than thoughts and prayers--I'm demanding action."

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"Nineteen children and two teachers--at an elementary school--were killed yesterday.

The shooting at Robb Elementary School is heartbreaking. I'm live on the Senate floor demanding more than thoughts and prayers--I'm demanding action.

A lot of people have characterized this tragedy as unthinkable. That's not true.

Parents and kids in Washington state and across the country think about this all the time.

What's unthinkable is that every time this happens, nothing changes.

Every time another mass shooting happens, Republicans stand in the way of any meaningful action. That's not just unthinkable--it's unacceptable.

We don't have to live like this--it's a solvable problem. And yet, Republicans won't even let us DEBATE gun safety legislation.

Some Republicans have suggested arming teachers. Can they hear themselves? Teachers didn't sign up to be soldiers and guns have no place in our classrooms. And we shouldn't have to ask them to do so.

Some Republicans will say this is a mental health issue.

I want to make this clear: the majority of people with mental illness do not commit violence against others. Treating gun violence as a mental health issue--rather than a gun issue--will never get us to the root cause.

If we want to get at the heart of really stopping gun violence, I beg my colleagues to pull their heads out of the sand and finally start talking about what can really address this crisis of gun violence: common-sense, gun safety legislation--and there's no getting around it.

I have come to the floor of the Senate countless times to call for action to keep our kids and families safe from gun violence just to have Republicans block our efforts again and again. But we can't give up. I'm not going to."

@PattyMurray

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