WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Friday released the following statement on the passing of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.):

“Dianne Feinstein will go down as a heroic, historic American leader, and I'm so grateful I got to know her and serve with her. She was the first woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco, the longest serving woman in the Senate, and an early and fearless champion of the gun safety movement as author of the monumental Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. For a long time, between 1994 and the tragedy in Newtown in 2012, Dianne was often a lonely but unwavering voice on the issue of gun violence. The modern anti-gun violence movement – now more powerful than the gun lobby – simply would not exist without Dianne's moral leadership. My thoughts are with her family, friends, loved ones, and members of her staff as we all grieve this tremendous loss.”

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