Floor Speeches

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) continued his campaign to honor the lives of nearly 3,400 people who have died from gun violence since the December shooting in Newtown, Conn.

On Tuesday, Murphy reminded his colleagues that the reason gun-control measures are being debated on the Senate floor is because a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook elementary school on Dec. 14.

“We’re finally, after this tipping point, having a debate on what we can do,” Murphy said on the Senate floor Tuesday with photos of victims behind him. “After all the back and forth on this bill … underneath it all, are these thousands of victims.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) blamed Democrats for delaying votes on amendments to the gun-control bill because he said they don’t have the votes to pass a bipartisan proposal on background checks.

“The majority doesn’t have the votes to pass their amendment, so we’re not voting and the majority wants to block amendments they don’t want to pass,” Grassley said on the Senate floor Tuesday.

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) said Tuesday that last year's bad weather proves that climate change is happening, and said House Republicans are avoiding congressional hearings on this issue.

"Just because some of my colleagues might not like what the science is telling us, it does not mean that they can continue to put their collective heads in the sand and ignore, simply ignore, these facts, or wish these facts away," Rush said on the House floor.

Virginia Sens. Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D) marked the sixth anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting on the Senate floor Tuesday.

Kaine read the names of all 32 victims of the mass shooting that took place six-years-ago on the college campus. Kaine said that this week senators would have to show “an infinitesimal amount of courage” by allowing votes on gun-control legislation.

Senate Leaders said Tuesday that their thoughts were with the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

“Today the thoughts of every American are with the people of Boston but especially with the victims of the horrendous attacks,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the Senate floor Tuesday morning.

The moment honored those killed or injured by the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) alerted his colleagues’ attention to the bombings at the Boston Marathon on the Senate floor Monday.

“It appears tragedy has struck at the Boston Marathon,” Toomey said. “Bombs have gone off. … There are injuries that we know of. … We hope and pray there will be no fatalities.” 

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) urged her colleagues to support her amendment to the Senate gun-control reform package addressing mental health issues.

“We’re going to see a lot of debate about aspects of gun safety,” Stabenow said Monday. “I hope there will be no disagreement that people with severe mental illnesses should be given effective treatment. … That should be the hopeful part of this debate.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday that he hoped “unreasonable extremists” in the Senate don’t try to stop votes on gun-control measures being considered this week.

“I hope a few unreasonable extremists will not try to prevent an up-or-down vote on this legislation with a filibuster,” Reid said on the Senate floor Monday. “That would be a shameful tribute to the memory of 27 innocent people who died in Newtown. Newtown deserves a vote, [Conn.].”

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) assured Democrats on Friday that Republicans would bring forward a bill to ensure the government does not default on its debt.

"We do intend to consider a bill that will ensure we meet our legal obligations and do not default on our debt, which I'm sure the gentleman agrees with me … is the responsible thing to do," Cantor said on the House floor in a discussion with Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).