Other

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said he still couldn’t support the compromise from Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on background checks for gun sales.

“The reason Sen. Manchin couldn’t get me to sign on, is I don’t think it’s going to work,” Coburn said on the Senate floor Wednesday evening.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) read details about the lives of gun violence victims on the Senate floor for hours Wednesday.

Murphy spoke about more than just the victims of the Newtown, Conn., massacre where a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six school employees in December. He had photos and descriptions of the lives of more than 20 victims of gun violence from around the country.

"These are not wrong place, wrong time, they were doing exactly what they were suppose to be doing and yet they were gunned down," Murphy said. "And yet we have no answer, we’re not able. … It’s like raindrops, it’s just become routine in this country."

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said Wednesday that Democrats' gun control plan “makes us less safe.” 

The Senate is considering S.649, the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act, which would expand background checks on gun purchases, create new penalties on straw purchases and include new funding for school security. 

Connecticut Sens. Chris Murphy (D) and Richard Blumenthal (D) urged their colleagues to support gun control legislation Wednesday.

In his maiden floor speech, Murphy displayed photos of the victims of the Newtown, Conn., shooting in December where 20 first graders and six school employees were killed by a gunman. He also gave a detailed account of the events that day, reminding his colleagues why they are debating gun control reforms.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed a cloture motion Tuesday night in order to advance gun-control reform legislation.

Reid said that unless an agreement is reached sooner, that Senate would proceed to a vote on the motion to proceed to S. 649, the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act, on Thursday morning.

“This evening, cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to the gun safety bill,” Reid said on the Senate floor Tuesday night. “Unless agreement is reached sooner, we will vote on this motion at some time Thursday morning.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) urged his Senate GOP colleagues Tuesday to meet with the families of victims of the Newtown, Conn., shooting.

Grassley said he met with some of the family members of the 20 first-graders and six school employees that were killed by a gunman in December.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Tuesday he was introducing a border security bill to compliment the bipartisan immigration reform package being negotiated by the Gang of Eight.

Cornyn said the Border Security Results Act would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use new technology to metrically gauge border security.

The Senate voted 64-34 on Tuesday to confirm the nomination of Patty Shwartz to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit.

Shwartz had been serving as a judge in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) accused Republicans Tuesday of “speaking out of both sides of their mouth” when it comes to debating gun-control reforms.

Reid was referring to the 13 GOP senators who sent him a letter during the two-week recess. The GOP senators, lead by Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), said they would filibuster any attempt to change gun-control laws, but Reid said these are the same senators who also complain that the Senate doesn't operate under regular order, allowing debate and amendments.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Monday evening that there are 31,000 reasons to pass gun-control reforms.

“There are 31,000 reasons to pass sensible gun legislation,” Boxer said. “That’s how many people die a year at the hands of a gun.”