Sen. Casey Joins Senate Gun Violence Filibuster

By Rich Schinto and Kara Seymour

Washington, DC — Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) has joined a Senate floor filibuster to address the issue of gun violence that began around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. As of 11 p.m. that night, the filibuster was ongoing.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) plans to remain on the senate floor until the body addresses the issue of gun violence. Casey joined the filibuster around 3:30 p.m. 

"I'm going to remain on this floor until we get some signal, some sign that we can come together on these two measures, that we can get a path forward on addressing this epidemic in a meaningful bipartisan way," Murphy said.

Casey tweeted Wednesday he was joining with Murphy to "demand action on gun violence."

"Why is it that the Senate’s response to mass shootings seem to be that there is nothing we can do?" he said via Twitter, providing a live feed to the filibuster. 

Democrats are filibustering a yearly funding bill for the departments of Commerce, Justice, NSF and other agencies, according to Gov Track. Following the weekend's mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub, Democrats are pushing to debate adding gun control amendments to a spending bill that is working its way through the Senate Wednesday.

The Democrats are calling for two primary legislative measures: universal background checks, or closing the “gun show loophole,” and the prevention of suspected terrorists from buying firearms.

Casey has called for gun law reforms following the nightclub shooting, which killed 49. 

“If you have proven you will commit criminal acts based on hate, you absolutely should not have access to a gun. It’s common sense,” Casey said. “It is time we as members of Congress do something. If you are a member of Congress and you say you care about security then you have to take steps to keep guns out of the wrong hands and ensure our law enforcement has the resources needed to keep communities safe.”

I am prepared to stand on the Senate floor and talk about the need to prevent gun violence for as long as I can. I've had #Enough
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 15, 2016

We are 2 hours in on Sen floor. No business as usual. We want a vote on closing the terrorist gun loophole. #ENOUGH https://t.co/Jg7tlBO7My — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) June 15, 2016

Happening now: @RepJoeCourtney and I on our way to the Senate to support @ChrisMurphyCT in his gun safety filibuster pic.twitter.com/xsgDO0mYKL — Jim Himes (@jahimes) June 15, 2016

"This effort is more than about just words," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D- Conn). "This chamber is filled with words. Rhetoric is the business of the floor of the chamber. We're here today to seek action."

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said he is with Murphy for the long run and has cleared his afternoon and evening calendar.

Modern filibusters aren't often like the one portrayed in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" when James Stewart's character talks to the point of passing out from exhaustion.

Sen. Strom Thurmond holds the filibuster record at 24 hours, 18 minutes. He reportedly only took a quick break to use the bathroom after temporarily yielding the floor to then-Sen. Barry Goldwater, according to NPR.

Other notable talking marathon events by senators include Sen. Rand Paul's 2013 nearly 13-hour event and Sen. Ted Cruz's 21-hour talk, which included reading "Green Eggs and Ham" to his children.

Check back for updates and watch Murphy's comments live on the C-SPAN stream.

Related stories:

• POLL: Should Assault Weapons Be Banned?
• Orlando Massacre Victims: Beyond A List Of Names, Stories Of Those Killed
• Rep. Jim Himes Protests 'Smug' Moment of Silence for Orlando
• New Jersey Ex-Wife of Orlando Shooter Talks to Media
• Judge Refuses to Delay Sandy Hook Gun Lawsuit

Additional reporting by Cody Fenwick, Patch Editor