Senators mark anniversary of Newtown shooting

Connecticut Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D) and Chris Murphy (D) used the one-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy to call for congressional action on gun-control reforms.

On Dec. 14, 2012, a gunman killed 20 first-graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and six of their educators.

Murphy said members of Congress should feel “embarrassment and shame” for letting a year pass without passing any new gun-control measures.

{mosads}“We’re approaching the one year mark of the tragic event of Sandy Hook,” Murphy said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “But here this week should also be a week of embarrassment and shame … because the House and Senate have done nothing.”

Last Spring, the Senate tried to pass gun-control reforms that would have required background checks for nearly all gun purchases, but Republicans blocked the legislation after the National Riffle Association (NRA) lobbied hard against the bill.

“As much as we should be shamed and embarrassed to act, we must also have hope and resolve that we will act,” Blumenthal said. “Surrender is unacceptable.”

Murphy said the problem is getting worse because the “carnage” is becoming more common. He listed several other mass shootings, including those before Sandy Hook.

“It’s not getting better, it’s getting worse,” Murphy said. “This place has to change the laws. It has to do something.”