WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), and other Congressional Democrats on Thursday at a press conference to mark one year since the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan background checks legislation. The bicameral members called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to finally bring the legislation to the Senate floor for a vote.

Murphy said: “We can make that case on policy grounds as to why H.R.8. has to become law, why it will save thousands and thousands of lives. But if Republicans aren't interested in saving other people's lives, then maybe they should be interested in saving their own political lives. Because we are building a movement and it is coming to get every single Republican who votes against it.”

“[Y]ou are either with 90% of the American public or you are with the NRA. And if you are with the NRA, your time here in Washington is short, it is coming to an end,” Murphy continued.

Murphy said: “And so there's a choice to be made for Mitch McConnell: Either he's going to continue to allow the NRA to be in charge of the United States Senate or he is going to be the Minority Leader very soon.”

This week, Murphy authored an op-ed in MTV News detailing the growing power and importance of the youth movement in the face of refusal of Republican lawmakers to pass substantial gun control legislation. He also held a press call to discuss the Senate’s failure to act on universal background checks and Mitch McConnell’s allegiance to the NRA rather than the American people. Over 90% of Americans support comprehensive background checks and research indicates that nearly a quarter of all gun sales in the United States may occur without a background check. In January 2019, Murphy led 40 Senators in introducing the Background Check Expansion Act to expand background checks to all gun sales.

A full transcript of Murphy’s remark can be found below:

“Well, thank you, Senator Schumer.

“I want to thank Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues behind us for making this a priority. For making sure that in the first two months of this new majority in the House that, we proclaimed to the public that we are on their side.

“The reason that this bill was a priority is because it's a priority for families in this country, because it's a priority for kids in this country, because it's a priority for parents in this country.

“The number is 100 per day, but unfortunately, many of the people behind us can tell you that that number is inaccurate, because that is only the number of people whose lives are ended every day. 

“There are hundreds more who are shot and who sustain injuries that never, ever go away. For every life that is lost there are dozens of family members and friends whose lives are altered in fundamental ways that never, ever changed.

“And so the scope of this epidemic is so much bigger than the numbers that we use and that’s why it commands us to action.

“We can make that case on policy grounds as to why H.R.8. has to become law, why it will save thousands and thousands of lives. But if Republicans aren't interested in saving other people's lives, then maybe they should be interested in saving their own political lives. Because we are building a movement and it is coming to get every single Republican who votes against it.

“So you are either with 90% of the American public or you are with the NRA. And if you are with the NRA, your time here in Washington is short, it is coming to an end.

“And so there's a choice to be made for Mitch McConnell: Either he's going to continue to allow the NRA to be in charge of the United States Senate or he is going to be the Minority Leader very soon.

“And so we will continue to stand with our colleagues in the House, to stand with this growing movement all across the country, and make clear that 90% of American public has to be right.

“The NRA cannot control the business of the United States Senate. The movement is getting bigger and bigger and it is a matter not of if we pass universal background checks, but when matters. 100 lives a day, thousands of others altered we are not going to stop until H.R.8. becomes law.”

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