WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy issued the following statement on the 57th Presidential Inauguration:

What an amazing day.  I had chills down my spine as I walked onto the stage to take part in this historic day, and I thought President Obama’s speech hit the mark.  The President’s message today was clear:  America cannot stand still.  In order to meet the challenges of today’s world, we need to move forward on clean energy policy, immigration reform, and civil rights.  The President gave a spirited address, and it will challenge the Congress to get beyond partisan divides and pass legislation that will make our nation more competitive in today’s global economy.

I was particularly gratified that the President specifically acknowledged Newtown in his speech.  Mentioning this tragedy signals his personal commitment to ending gun violence and that gun control will be a top priority in the early days of his second term.

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