WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) released the following statement regarding the joint proposal announced yesterday by U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on universal background checks for gun purchases:

We’re glad our colleagues forged a reasonable compromise on expanding background checks for gun purchases. We continue to support and will continue to work toward a truly universal background check system, but this bipartisan compromise represents significant progress, because it is a major improvement over current law, and will make sure that a lot fewer criminals get their hands on guns.  It will make our streets and our schools safer.

On the morning of December 14th, we pledged that we would do everything we could to make sure that more parents wouldn’t have to bury their children because of preventable gun violence.  Expanded background checks are only part of a much bigger comprehensive solution to this problem, but this compromise is a good starting point for next week's debate on a broader gun violence bill. 

This proposal moves us forward, putting us one step closer to passing a strong package of common sense gun reform that will save lives.