Massacre in my state of connecticut. One of the saddest days of my life, one of the worst days of my public career when i went to the Elementary School in newtown, connecticut along with my colleagues will be speaking today as well. And the judiciary committee, just moments ago senator feinstein circulated a framed copy of the front page of the daily news of wednesday, december 15, 2013. Five years ago. Almost to the day. That frontpage has photographs of the 20 beautiful children who were lost in that unspeakable act of terror and harm. They are 20 wonderful human beings who would be 11 years old today. Theyre Great Teachers were killed as well having valued and known their parents and friends and fellow advocates in the effort to achieve commonsense measures against gun violence, i know how deeply that pain is still felt. The healing is far from over. The grief remains. Prayers and thoughts go on every day to the loved ones who lost those children, and educators. Prayers and thoughts are not enough, they never have been after any of these massacres, never will be after the mass killings, or the one by one deaths in the community, 90 every day in this great country. Gun violence kills 90 people every day. Hundred 50000 people have perished in sandy hook. As we commemorate this awful day five years ago, let us rededicate ourselves to action, to honor those victims and honor all victims with action. It is never too soon to honor the victims with action. On the front page of the the daily news theres a line that says new yorks hometown newspaper. New york was not the hometown to the sandy hook victims, but america felt that sandy hook was every town in america, it is indeed an american town. Its filled with wonderful people who hug and grief together. That day, that night in the church and in the days following when they were calling hours and funerals, one after the other seem like they would never end. In some ways, they have never ended. Because, for those families, those losses are still real and urgent. For us, the task of honoring those 20 beautiful children not to be real and urgent even more so today than it was then. That day we prayed in the church, i said to the congregation, the whole world is watching. The whole world was watching. World is watching america to see whether we will act. They are not the only country with Mental Health problems. Our rate of Mental Illness is no greater than any other developed industrial country. But our rate of gun violence is off the charts compared to other countries. There is no excuse for it, there is no need a rational explanation. As we prayed and grieved then and in the act of that senseless, horrific tragedy congress turned its back. They turned his back on those courageous and Strong Families who came here in the weeks following talking to her colleagues across the area and on this side, asking for commonsense measures, background checks there was a bipartisan measure than to extend background checks and achieve other gun violence prevention measures, which unfortunately failed on this floor to gain enough votes. We had 55 but we needed 60. From the gallery on that day, someone shouted, shane. December 14, 2013, 2012 will be forever be a stain on our nations history. That day will forever be a black mark on the United States of america. So will the day that those commonsense measures were rejected in this chamber. Congress saw the photos of those innocent babies, those wonderful children. It saw their grieving parents, and saw the lines of terrified and traumatized children on that day been led to safety out of their Elementary School. It saw the war zone the word that the school became when that mass killing turned it into something that no teacher, no educator ever could have for seen. Those educators help save lives in congress saw and heard the stories of how brave educators fought to shield their children from the bullets coming from the assault weapon on that day. But, unfortunately the grip of the gun lobby and the nra, thats who is leading that lobby, prevail. In the 1825 days since the sandy hook tragedy despite the 150,000 people parish since then, congress has chosen in action. It has disregarded Public Safety it has heated instead the Campaign Contributions of the gun violence and it has failed to act. It has been complicit in the continuing scourge of gun violence by an action. It has been an aider and a better to the 90 killings each day. As a result of gun violence. And shame on congress if it fails to act now. Today, im not just heartbroken, im angry beyond words about the complicity about the inaction we have seen about congress failure to take commonsense steps to protect the people in the United States. To meet this Public Health crisis with the kind of action the American People deserve and need. If 90 people every day were piercing from ebola or contagious disease, even the flu there be an outrage and we would be clamoring to do something. Here, the solutions none of them are is a panacea, none, single magic solution to this problem. The gun lobby when they say none will deal with the mass killing that just happened is indeed a trap we should retract. The ban on pump stock may have prevented las vegas but not charleston. The closing of the loophole that permits purchasers to buy a gun if the but background check has not been completed within 72 hours met night have prevented las vegas but it would have prevented charleston. Dylan reported purchased a gun only because he was able to circumvent the background check as a result of that 72 hour loophole. The ban on certain kinds of magazines might not have prevented San Bernadino or orlando, but it would have helped prevent sandy hook. We will never know if any of these measures would ever prevent everyone of the killings we fight, but each of them can save lives. If we save one life we will have saved the world. Shame on congress for allowing this tragic anniversary to be followed by so many more, las vegas, orlando, charleston, and in each and every one of our communities none of our communities are immune. It is truly a Public Health crisis. I am hopeful there may be a crack in the ice. I am proud to be part of a very powerful bipartisan alliance involving our colleagues across the aisle as well as senator murphy and other senators on the side of the. Im hoping we can make modest but crucial improvements to the National Instant criminal background check system. The system should be fixed. The bill will provide incentives and encourage states to do better at reporting. Right now there are gaps in reporting in the state and federal government which is why perhaps other than springs occurred, because of a failure to report a Domestic Violence conviction that would have barred the shooter from obtaining awfully a weapon had it been reported accurately. The bill would ensure several state authorities comply with existing law and accurately report relevant criminal history record to the background check system. This is the least we can do, not the most, but the bare minimum. While there is broad support for this modest but significant measure, the Republican Leadership in the house is attempting to sabotage it by linking it and pairing with a truly dangerous concealed carry reciprocity act. That act would sabotage as well, the loss of states like connecticut that seek to prove attacked our citizens. It would provide permits from other states. Caller did like drivers license. No matter how lenient or nonexistent the persians may be from obtaining provisions in those states. Like it it would invite a state like connecticut to protect our citizens with higher standards. These basic measures to prevent gun violence have no threat to gun ownership. They ensure people who are in danger to themselves or others and convicted criminals and others already barred from buying weapons will not be permitted to carry a lethal firearm. I respect the second amendment. Is the law of the land. No firearm should be taken away from lawabiding citizens. The idea that theres Nothing Congress can do to save american lives is unacceptable and false. Its a political copout rejected by the vast majority of americans, 95 of americans want background checks apply to all purchases. They overwhelmingly favor the presence background checks is that make the over center purchases were accurate. And they favor commonsense measures that will protect innocent human beings. Like the 20 beautiful children and six great educators lost that day in san diego. When i feel most discouraged and disgusted i think of those families, i think of the parents of olivia, i think of the parents of all of those beautiful children. I wonder, as im sure they often do, what lives they would be leading today. What would olivia be doing on this day. Filled with son and beauty. In connecticut this morning its no. At six or 11 snow would still be a wonderful thing never to be taken for granted by any child in this holiday. All of the wonder and beauty of this holiday never to be taken for granted by six your old world an 11yearold. The possibilities and opportunities, the dreams and hopes shattered on that day, lost forever. I was at the calling hours for one of the children killed it sandy hook. A gutwrenching moment, everyone of them. I spoke to the mother of one of those children. I told her that when she was ready said when you are ready we should do something about gun violence and she said without hesitation i am ready now. I am ready now. America should be ready. America is ready. This body should follow americas lead. Honor with action. If nothing else is remembered of that day five years ago, let us honor with action so strong and courageous families who have suffered this unspeakable horror and still unimaginable grief and who have come here in years past to ask us to honor with action the victims survivors and loved ones of sandy hook and wall gun violence horse in this country. Thank you. I yield the floor. Mr. President , i am on the floor this afternoon to mark five years since the unthinkable, since 26 and seven yearolds their educators were killed in an Elementary School in sandy hook connecticut change the town of newtown, change this country the way we think about gun violence. Its really changed me. I want to talk today as we once again memorialize those beautiful children whose lives were cut far too short. It is easy to spend today especially those of us who come from connecticut and are connected to the tragedy in those families to drowned in sadness. Theres no way to conceive of what its like as a parent to lose a child that young in that manner. Five short minutes in a hail of bullets emanating from an assault weapon, 20 kids who walked into their classroom were gone. Its easy to hang your head thinking of all the things that havent happened. Ive been to this for over 50 times, often at my wits end raising my voice at my colleagues in frustration that are quiet unintentional endorsement because we havent passed a single legislation great in fact the changes we have done has compounded the problem that remediated it. I want to extend my brief time here today that focusing on the sadness of today not focusing on what we havent done but focusing on so many miracles, big ones and small ones but in around those lives of those whos very few people understand the crippling pain that comes with this loss. While they have never her they have found ways to capture joy some have added to their numbers by welcoming new children since then. They have rediscovered passion they made sure that the surviving children, the siblings have been able to live lives of optimism i got to know so many of these families there now close personal friends of mine and watching the rebirth of these families is still the sense of faith thats hard to explain their small miracles but important to remember on this five year anniversary. The miracles also come in ways that lives have been changed so many of the families join together with their friend and started up charitable organizations in the wake of the sandy hook shooting. To find a way to take the beauty of these kids and transferred to others almost two new mobile to mention, but the project gives out a scholarship every year for incoming freshmen who are studying music. Her whole life was surrounded by music. The vicki fund donates five book every year to every k6 classroom in her hometown. She was one of the teachers and heroes of that day. Kids the opportunity to read and love reading and she talked to those kindergarten kids because of her foundation. The Charlotte Bacon foundation pace for therapy dogs for kids and families in need reflecting charlottes love of dogs. The Catherine Hubbard foundation opened an animal sanctuary, 32 acres in newtown to help animals who had been rescued from abusive or neglected environments because of catherines love of animals. These are small, beautiful miracles that are happening all across connecticut in the country trying to honor the memory of these kids and their educators. There are miracles that have happened in the context of Public Policy. I set with a few of the sandy hook parents quietly in the back of the auditorium as they looked at the reform act that would not have become law without the activism of the sandy hook are gun violence problem is not a Mental Health problem per se, but, theres no mistaking the shooter in newtown has been the case and has had deep Mental Health problems that left untreated or have been Public Policy victories, and so today on the five year anniversary, my hope that my friends here will celebrate the small but meaningful miracles that have happened. I hope youll be reminded that we cannot take one day or one woman for granted. Those moms and dads who sent their kids to school that morning, they never imagined that would be the last time they would be able to interact with their child. None of us should think that we should have a chance to say what we want to say to someone we care about. Those small things we do for each other, they matter desperately think about one story ill leave you with that morning danielle is one of the young boys killed that Elementary School, his older brother went to school at a different time than he did, he normally would not see each other in the morning and for some reason the morning of the shooting at sandy hook, daniel got up earlier than he normally did and saw his brother was at the end of the driveway and he ran out of the house down the driveway to say goodbye to his brother goodbye for the day. Just a small, tiny act of kindness that daniel thought would probably be forgotten by his brother by the end of that day. But it has meant the world to that family. The idea that daniel got the chance to walk down the driveway and say goodbye to his brother before he went to school that day and never came back. Dont ever think that you ever have the chance to say that to a loved one. Several months ago sandy hook parent arrived unexpectedly. She just wanted to stop in for a few minutes. I said of course, send her back, the mom lost her child and she burst into my office and she flung her arms around me as she whispered into my ear, keep going as she on claps terms and looked at me and said thats all i wanted to come and tell you. And after a few pleasantries, she walked out the door. Keep going. Thats what newtown has done of the past five years, but the families have found the courage to do over the last half of the decade. For those of us who believe the laws of the country must change in order to protect those who lost their lives, its what we do. So as we mark five years, since the violence we keep going. I yield the floor. Watch the profile series on White House Administration officials. Will feature mercedes slap. Mercedes means compassion. So i feel like theres a part of me that very much carries the sense of duty to my nation, and duty hoping my generation, older or Younger Generation to understand why we are here in america and why we need to preserve the greatness of america. Slight was an easy when i was off to join the trump administration. Was to preserve our nation
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