Senate Democrats begin gun control filibuster

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, has begun a filibuster on the Senate floor.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) declared the beginning of a filibuster Wednesday just after 11 a.m. EDT, tweeting that he is "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."

Murphy and other Democrats have demanded that Republicans reach an agreement about legislation that will require universal background checks and make it more difficult for suspected terrorists to get ahold of guns. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) have already announced they will be supporting Murphy in his endeavor.

The Democrats are aiming to add the amendment to a spending bill that the Senate is currently debating, Politico reports. "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 had said.

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On Wednesday, Donald Trump met with the National Rifle Association, after which the organization agreed gun sales to individuals on the terrorist watch list should be delayed and investigated by the FBI.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.