Democratic senators stage 'filibuster' to demand action on gun bills

Senate Democrats led by Chris Murphy of Connecticut ground the Senate floor to a halt Wednesday, vowing to speak as long as necessary to force the Senate to take action to address gun violence.

“I am prepared to stand on the Senate floor and talk about the need to prevent gun violence for as long as I can. I've had #Enough,” he tweeted. For nearly 15 hours, Murphy and other Democratic senators took turns demanding the Senate take up a variety of gun control measures, though it is not clear any of them would have the votes to pass. In the end, Murphy said via Twitter the Senate will vote on whether to ban gun sales to suspected terrorists and enact universal background checks.

Murphy listed off mass shootings and talked about expanding background checks for gun buyers and banning gun sales to people on terror watch lists. He said the failure of Congress to pass such measures has been particularly disappointing to him and other residents of Connecticut, where a shooter gunned down 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012.

"I can't tell you how hard it is to look into the eyes of the families of those little boys and girls who were killed in Sandy Hook and tell them that almost four years later, we’ve done nothing, nothing at all to reduce the likelihood that that will happen again to another family," Murphy said.

Democrats have renewed their push for legislation to toughen gun laws since the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Florida Sunday that killed 49 people, plus the shooter and injured 53 others. They have focused on a measure proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that would allow the attorney general to ban gun sales to suspected terrorists, including those on watch lists, if there is “reasonable belief” the weapons may be used to carry out an attack.

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Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said he and his GOP colleagues are open to legislation that would ban such sales but only if it includes due process protections for individuals listed to appeal their gun ban. McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said Murphy's tying up the Senate floor had delayed legislative action on guns and other issues, although there were no votes scheduled Wednesday afternoon.

"Sen. Murphy’s effort today prevents the Senate from processing any amendments, including amendments he supports, as well as efforts proposed by Republicans to help prevent terrorist attacks here at home," Stewart said.

The Feinstein legislation could come up for a vote as a proposed amendment to legislation the Senate is expected to take up funding the Department of Justice, including the FBI, for the next fiscal year. Republicans likely would agree to a vote on Feinstein's amendment but would also demand a vote on legislation they favor sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, that would require the Justice Department to go before a judge and prove probable cause before banning someone from buying a gun.

The chances of passage for either are slim. The Senate already voted both down in December after the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif.

The Republican presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump, jumped into the fray Wednesday, saying he will be meeting with the National Rifle Association "about not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no fly list, to buy guns."

Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, said the group is "happy to meet with Donald Trump" though its position on the issue hasn't changed. Cox said the NRA supports delaying a sale until an investigation is completed and blocking a sale only after a court hearing.

"At the same time, due process protections should be put in place that allow law-abiding Americans who are wrongly put on a watchlist to be removed," Cox said.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also weighed in, tweeting, "Some fights are too important to stay silent. Preventing gun violence is one of them." She urged Murphy to "Stand strong."

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