U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy Shares How Life Has Changed After Historic Gun Violence Filibuster

As U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., sat down for breakfast in a Massachusetts hotel with his wife and two sons on the way to his college reunion the weekend of June 12, his eye casually caught the news on a nearby TV, news that made his heart sink.

Forty-nine people were shot dead in the deadliest mass shooting in the country’s history at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

It’s not the first time Murphy’s heart has been pierced over a deadly mass shooting.

Murphy, 42, who won election to the U.S. Senate in November 2012, was present at a firehouse in Newtown on Dec. 14, 2012 after a gunman shot and killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He was there when families learned if their loved ones lived or died.

With the horrific images of Orlando present in his mind now and thoughts of Sandy Hook that never left his mind, Murphy decided something needed to be done once and for all on the topic of gun violence.

So he literally decided to stand up - 15 hours of standing on the U.S. Senate floor - and do something about it. Murphy and Democrats’ aim is stop people on terrorist watch lists from being able to purchase guns and to increase background checks.

“We know in Connecticut how deeply, deeply these tragedies scar a community,” Murphy said referencing the mass shooting that occurred in Orlando, Florida. “I knew immediately I had to start thinking about how to shake the consciences of the congressmen when I got back to Washington.”

Clearly a fire had been stirred in the Democratic Connecticut senator, as it had in millions of people the day of the mass shootings in Orlando. His mission, however, would lead to a 15-hour filibuster that would breathe new life into the movement to end gun violence, while changing the course of his week, his year and perhaps in part his career.

“I got back to Washington on Monday and came to the realization that the Senate was going to totally ignore what had just happened,” Murphy said. “I mean, coming from Connecticut I was completely fed up with the complete total silence of Congress in the face of these mass slaughters.”

The Sandy Hook Tragedy

A situation like the Orlando tragedy is clearly not far out of the senator’s memory. He was present in Newtown the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings awaiting word in a firehouse whether or not child after child would be coming home to their parents that day.

“There are some days where I wish I didn't see and hear the things I saw and heard inside that firehouse,” Murphy said in a phone interview with Patch this week.

As chairman of the Newtown Action Alliance, a volunteer grassroots organization formed in the wake of the school shootings, Po Murray said she considers Murphy an ally of the organization.

“He has been a true champion of change to end gun violence,” Murray said. “He was in that firehouse when families were told whether their children would be coming back to them or not. I think it broke the hearts of these senators .... and that’s why they fight so hard for what’s necessary because they understand how it impacts families and communities.”

Call to Action

In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in our nation’s history, Murphy realized something had to be done immediately.

“I had limited power,” Murphy said, “but I did have the power of mounting a filibuster. So I reached out to Senators (Richard) Blumenthal and (Cory) Booker and suggested that we go down to the floor that Wednesday and mount (one). It was very organic.”

Suddenly a man who claimed to have limited power would hold some for not just a moment, but for hours; 15 to be exact. Something that not just required mental drive, but also physical endurance.

“I was certainly worried going in about my ability to stand on my feet for five hours, never mind 15 hours,” Murphy said, “but my body held up fine. I do remember feeling pretty sore at the end of it though.”

Murphy, who isn’t up for re-election until 2018, serves on the Appropriations Committee, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee and the Democratic Steering & Outreach Committee.

Many applauded Murphy for his hours spent standing, refusing to give up until something was done on the part of Congress. Some tuned in to watch the action for hours, hoping to lend their support on social media.

“It was amazing,” Murray said of Murphy’s actions. “It was heartwarming to see our senator who has been directly impacted by the Sandy Hook tragedy standing there with supporters to push for these common sense measures that are completely necessary to keep us safe.”

Murphy and Democrats want to expand background checks to gun shows and the Internet, as well as blocking suspected terrorists from purchasing weapons. Though neither provision passed, it got people talking and led to a sit-in at the House of Representatives from Wednesday to Thursday.

Executive Director of CT Against Gun Violence Ron Pinciaro agreed that the action was a good thing to see, but was also very necessary.

“I thought it brought attention to the issue and the legislative proposals that ended up getting put to a vote, even though they were ultimately not successful, which was disappointing but not entirely unexpected,” Pinciaro said. “I guess it accomplished the fact that legislators were on record with their votes, which may be an important factor in November.”

Lasting Impact of Historic Filibuster

Fellow U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also spoke highly of Murphy, as well as the pair’s efforts on a whole to get Congress to listen in regards gun violence.

“He’s very effective and a tremendous teammate,” Blumenthal said. “We worked together very closely fighting for Connecticut; working to increase jobs and business here. We worked together on the filibuster, and I hope to continue our work together.”

Blumenthal also said that the filibuster was an important step in the right direction of keeping things moving towards tangible change.

“It had profoundly important results, leading to the sit-in on the house floor,” Blumenthal said. “I’ve always said that each effort is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Murphy, while immensely proud of the filibuster, was quick to point out that these efforts do not constitute such huge applause.

“Nobody should be patted on the back for standing on their feet for 15 hours and talking when people in this country are doing things that are 20 times more heroic,” Murphy said. “I just used the process to my advantage to try to get some attention to this epidemic of gun violence plaguing the nation, and we certainly made a difference in some respects.”

To Murphy, it is more a form of necessary service. He grew up in a family where he and his siblings were taught to live their lives in some way that gave back.

“I wasn’t good enough with numbers to become wealthy and give it away to charity,” Murphy said, “and I don’t really like the sight of blood so I wasn’t going to be a doctor or anything like that, but I liked people.”

His parents were actually registered Republicans and not particularly political, he said. They instilled in him a sense of responsibility to live a life of service in some way, shape or form.

“I think he’s done a terrific job,” Pinciaro said. “I think he’s shown a lot of courage, a lot of leadership. This is nothing new. Since he became senator he has been very committed to this issue and been very active on it both in the legislature and in terms of working with state and national advocacy groups.”

For Murphy and his fellow senators, they have not had much time to sit back and celebrate how things have been progressing, instead continuing to mount a political movement. Though he thinks the chances are slim they will get a bill to the finish line by the end of the year, they will be working hard to make it a possibility.

Not Done Yet

“We’re not done in the Senate,” Murphy said. “We have tens of thousands of people who are plugged into this issue because of what happened in the House and in the Senate over the last ten days. The only way we are going to beat the gun lobby is building a political movement just as strong as the one they built and that’s where much of my focus will go.”

Though life has not changed much for Murphy since the filibuster, he does find his voice has been a bit “elevated” for the things that he cares about.

Murphy’s Future

The one thing it has not done, however, is left him with aspirations for higher office.

“My desire is just to do this job for as long and as well as I can,” Murphy said. “I want to do the job with dignity and passion. I certainly think about my kids, but just as importantly I want everyone else in the state to be proud of the job that I am doing. I think about that a lot.”

There is certainly still a lot of work ahead for Murphy, Blumenthal and all those who sympathize with their efforts. Still Murphy finds himself driven by a need to service the state he loves and the people in it, his wife and kids, and the countless people affected by mass tragedies like the Orlando and Newtown shootings.

“With Orlando,” Murphy said, “I didn’t know how I was going to look the families of Newtown in the eye if I didn’t do everything within my power to try to force some action on the issue.”

Image via Senator Chris Murphy Facebook page