HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy’s 15-hour filibuster last week, an effort to press for votes on two gun control measures, marked a high point for what’s become a signature cause for him and others in Connecticut’s all-Democratic congressional delegation.
On Wednesday, all five Connecticut House members participated in a sit-in, demanding action on gun violence legislation.
Motivated by the deadly 2012 Newtown school shooting, the lawmakers’ energies have been credited with keeping public attention on the gun violence issue. The delegation has become known for its efforts on guns whether it’s the filibuster, appearances with families of the Sandy Hook School victims in calls for more restrictive policies, or Rep. Jim Himes’ recent refusal to observe a congressional moment of silence after the Orlando, Florida, nightclub shooting.
Dan Gross, the president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said Murphy “has emerged as a true hero for our cause.”
But some Republicans and gun rights advocates back home in Connecticut are not impressed.
State Rep. Dan Carter, a Republican challenging U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal in November, said Blumenthal and his colleagues have focused so much on the gun issue following the shootings in Newtown, Orlando and elsewhere that they neglect other issues, such as fighting terrorism or overall violence in society.
“They jump straight into their agenda and their issues, and they use it to raise money,” said Carter, whose legislative district includes Newtown. He was referring to an online fundraising campaign launched by the Connecticut State Democratic Committee during Murphy’s highly publicized filibuster, which urged donors to “help us elect Democrats like Chris up and down the ticket.” Blumenthal said he was unaware of the campaign.
In the case of the Orlando shooting, Carter and JR Romano, chairman of the Connecticut Republicans, argue the delegation has ignored issues such as the radicalization of U.S. citizens and whether the massacre should be considered a terrorist threat.
“I understand what happened in Orlando is a massive tragedy, but simply removing the gun does not solve the problem,” said Romano, who claims the delegation is “using tragedy to push their political agenda” while also raising its national profile.
“Why aren’t they talking about the FBI? How did they miss this guy?” Romano said. “They don’t want to talk about the failures of government. It’s just easier to say it’s the gun’s fault.”
The Senate on Monday defeated measures that would have expanded background checks and denied gun sales to suspected terrorists, but Murphy wants to forge ahead and build a political movement dedicated to gun control.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, who represents a district including Newtown in a seat held previously by Murphy, joined her fellow House members from Connecticut in calling on Speaker Paul Ryan to hold a vote this week on similar legislation that did not clear the Senate. To further push the point, all five members participated in a sit-in with dozens of colleagues in the well of the House, demanding a vote.
Blumenthal, who stood with Murphy through much of his filibuster, said the death of 20 first graders and 6 educators at Sandy Hook had a profound impact on both of them.
“We have really worked together with the rest of the delegation, and I think sought to continue to press our colleagues on this issue,” Blumenthal said. “It’s in our gut. It’s in our hearts. It’s not just an intellectual or legal fight. It’s really about wonderful people who lost really wonderful children and loved ones.”
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