of grief these newtown parents have had to trek to washington with pictures of their children, just to get the most basic common sense reforms done that the senator was talking about. it is common sense the only way to stop a mass murderer is to make him pause. if that's all we're asking for, we can save 10 out of 20 kids or 15. isn't that worth trying? it's an unbelievable to me that anyone would be opposed. >> senator, that vote today, overwhelmed that -- those opponents who said we won't even let you debate this. what would that vote have been today if the newtown families didn't spend the week in washington? >> i don't know exactly what it would have been. but there's no question that they helped determine the tie. remember back four months ago, gun violence control was deemed to be untouchable politically. four days ago, we didn't know whether we could reach this 60-vote threshold. many regard it as unwinnable and unreachable. and they came to washington, and