Blumenthal Speaks on Senate Floor as Chamber Passes Bipartisan Gun Violence Prevention Legislation

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) spoke on the Senate Floor ahead of a vote on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation to prevent gun violence and invest in mental health resources.

“The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is [a] significant step forward that responds to the nation's sense of urgency to get something done,” said Blumenthal, one of the lead negotiators of the legislative package. “This measure will save lives…and I'll be proud to vote for it today.”

During his remarks, Blumenthal recalled standing in the Senate Chamber after a failed vote on expanding background checks in the aftermath of the shooting at Sandy Hook.

“My mind goes back to watching that gallery almost ten years ago in the wake of the Newtown tragedy, the unthinkable murder of 20 beautiful children and six brave educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School. And when we failed to take action then on a very modest improving the background checks system, we had 55 votes but not enough to reach 60, I will never forget the cry of, “Shame! Shame!” that came from that gallery,” Blumenthal said.

“I remember the Sandy Hook families were in that gallery and at least two of them are here today, Mark Barden and Nicole Hockley. Today it's not only those families in the gallery, it is the movement that those families through their immeasurable grief and unthinkable trauma created in the wake of that unimaginable murder. That movement is here comprised of survivors and first responders, medical professionals, educators, advocates and so many others. And today when the United States Senate passes the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we won't hear cries of shame. There will be cries of relief finally.”  

Citing the bill’s measures to support red flag laws, shrink the boyfriend loophole, cut down on trafficking and straw purchases, and support community violence intervention programs, Blumenthal discussed both the measure’s meaningful progress, and the work that remains to be done to address America’s gun violence epidemic.

“This bill is a breakthrough that builds foundation for the future. It opens the door, and hopefully it will show colleagues who have perhaps been reluctant to stand up to the gun lobby in the past and help maintain the vice-like grip of that gun lobby on the Congress that their power is done. They have not only waned in their impact, but their intimidation and threats will no longer hold sway here,” Blumenthal said.

“It is a proud moment for the United States Senate.”   

Video of Blumenthal’s remarks is available here. The full text of Blumenthal’s remarks is copied below.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank my colleague and friend from Texas as well as the team that worked with him, Senators Murphy, Tillis, Sinema, and all of us who worked with them.

Where he is surely right is that we have shown that democracy works, at least that it can work when people come together seeking common ground and responding to the overwhelming sense of urgency on the American people about solving a problem, and that democracy working stands in stark juxtaposition to the tableau on the other side of the Congress, the House commission that is investigating the near overthrow of that democracy.

So for all who are doubting and all who may have doubts in the future, we are providing some reassurance that we can get things done and solve problems.

My mind goes back to watching that gallery almost ten years ago in the wake of the Newtown tragedy, the unthinkable murder of 20 beautiful children and six brave educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School. And when we failed to take action then on a very modest improving the background checks system, we had 55 votes but not enough to reach 60, I will never forget the cry of, “Shame! Shame!” that came from that gallery.

I remember the Sandy Hook families were in that gallery and at least two of them are here today, Mark Barden and Nicole Hockley. Today it's not only those families in the gallery, it is the movement that those families through their immeasurable grief and unthinkable trauma created in the wake of that unimaginable murder.

That movement is here comprised of survivors and first responders, medical professionals, educators, advocates and so many others. And today when the United States Senate passes the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we won't hear cries of shame. There will be cries of relief finally.

I'm proud to have been part of the team that negotiated this measure and to have worked with colleagues on the other side of the aisle like Senator Cornyn.

This is not the measure I fought for. It's not the measure I would have written if I'd been doing it alone, but it marks meaningful progress. If you wait to get everything in the United States Senate, chances are you will get nothing. Progress is better than nothing. This measure will save lives. Not all the lives that we want to save but it will save lives. And I'll be proud to vote for it today.

After 30 years, hundreds of thousands of gun deaths after Sandy Hook and dozens of failed legislative proposals, we are finally taking this step forward. The Sandy Hook victims, the Parkland victims, the Uvalde victims, and so many more deserve so much better and they deserve more.

But the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is that significant step forward that responds to the nation's sense of urgency to get something done. One way the legislation will do so that I'm particularly proud of is investing in crisis intervention programs. This bill will increase funding for these programs, including red flag laws and programs already in place in 21 jurisdictions like Connecticut which was the first. These laws keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who are dangerous to themselves or others. It separates those guns from people who say they're going to kill somebody or themselves. More than half of all gun deaths are suicide.

Red flag laws are practical and proven and they prevent not only suicides but school mass shootings and other violent gun crimes. Just last week Connecticut probably saved tens of lives by separating an individual who told his therapist that he was having those thoughts again about killing people, and he was separated from a firearm.

I've worked on the red flag issue for years, with Senator Graham and with Senator Feinstein, in the bipartisan negotiations that led to this bill. We worked collaboratively and closely to develop a funding framework that can support states that already have these laws and states that choose to enact these laws going forward. Implementation is so important, and the resources necessary for implementation are key to making them work effectively.

In fact, very arguably the failure of the New York red flag law to prevent the Buffalo massacre was due to lack of resources, commitment. To alleviate concerns among some of my Republican colleagues and some gun owners, we reached a bipartisan agreement to include provisions that specify that for states to be eligible to use funding on their red flag programs, those programs have to include minimum due process protection. These protections are consistent with due process safeguards provided in the 21 jurisdictions that already have these laws, and several have already been upheld in the face of constitutional challenges.

The Constitution already applies to these laws, so the due process guarantees would apply in any event. But we had no problem spelling out that explicit protection in the legislative text is added for reassurance. And in so doing, our bipartisan group agreed that all 21 jurisdictions that already have red flag laws will all qualify for funding under this bill. And so too we agreed future jurisdiction that enacts such a law must at least meet the same constitutional due process minimum to be eligible.

I spell out this legislative history because it's important to understand not only the context but also the intention of these provisions. And let no one doubt that the states like Connecticut that already have these laws will receive funding. I'm also pleased that among other measures, we've substantially shrunk, even if not eliminated, the boyfriend loophole. We've made straw purchasing and trafficking illegal at the federal level, a measure that I know as a former U.S. Attorney, chief federal prosecutor in Connecticut is enormously important.

And we're investing hundreds of millions of dollars in community violence intervention and in the stop school violence program. Meeting just this week and throughout these past years with community groups and educators and others who want to stop mental health issues upstream before they create violence downstream, I know how enormously important these measures can be for Connecticut and other states.

Finally, let me say I've come to the Senate Floor too many times, too many times to count, to call on us to honor with action those incredibly strong, brave families, from Sandy Hook, from all around the country, who have created this movement that we have now. It’s a movement that will go on. They're not stopping. Neither should we. We need to continue with the same sense of urgency and purpose that movement, toward making America even safer.

This bill is a breakthrough that builds foundation for the future. It opens the door, and hopefully it will show colleagues who have perhaps been reluctant to stand up to the gun lobby in the past and help maintain the vice-like grip of that gun lobby on the Congress that their power is done. They have not only waned in their impact, but their intimidation and threats will no longer hold sway here.

So we are saving lives. It is a proud moment for the United States Senate, and I thank all of my colleagues for supporting this breakthrough Thank you, Madam President.

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