Democrat Senator Chris Murphy: We Have The Votes For New Crackdown On Guns, Just Don’t Have Enough

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) claimed on Sunday that Democrats have enough votes to enact a new crackdown on guns before admitting that they, in fact, do not have enough votes because of the filibuster.

“The fact that matter is, we have the votes in the House and the Senate for a universal background checks bill. We have a president who will sign it. It’s the rules of the Senate that prevent us from passing it. We probably have 52, 53, 54 votes in the Senate for this,” Murphy claimed during an interview on CNN. “So the rules right now are what prevent us from being able to enact the will of the public. But I also understand that this is, I think, one of the great social change movements in this nation’s history, that we can’t let failure or obstacles stop us.”

JAKE TAPPER, HOST: Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut speaking out this week after yet another deadly shooting, this one in Michigan, where four students were killed and seven others injured.

Senator Murphy says he will consider his time in public service — quote — “a failure” if he is not able to pass a significant federal firearms reform bill.

Senator Murphy of Connecticut joins us right now.

So, Senator, this horrific violence at Oxford High School in Michigan, it was the deadliest school shooting in more than three years. The ninth anniversary of Sandy Hook is just over a week away. You obviously represent Sandy Hook in the Senate.

We have a Democratic House, a Democratic Senate, a pro-gun control president, Democrat. No new gun regulations have passed. Why not?

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): Well, listen, I think it’s first important to remember that, while the nation pays attention to the epidemic of shooting in this country on days in which there is a mass shooting, 100 people every day are dying from gunshot wounds, and we have seen a dramatic uptick in violence since the beginning of the pandemic.

The fact that matter is, we have the votes in the House and the Senate for a universal background checks bill. We have a president who will sign it. It’s the rules of the Senate that prevent us from passing it. We probably have 52, 53, 54 votes in the Senate for this.

So the rules right now are what prevent us from being able to enact the will of the public. But I also understand that this is, I think, one of the great social change movements in this nation’s history, that we can’t let failure or obstacles stop us.

We’re going to have to continue to build a movement. If we don’t change the rules of the Senate, then we’re ultimately going to need 60 votes. And so we need to continue to build up our political power around the country.

TAPPER: So, Republican Senator Pat Toomey from the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania — and you have worked with him on this issue — he told me a few months ago — you will remember, of course, when he and Manchin, both NRA guys, put together a bill to close the so-called gun show loophole.

He said that he thinks that that could potentially get 60 votes in the Senate. But there’s been no progress on it because people who want gun reform in the Senate want big, sweeping gun reform and won’t be happy with even just an incremental step like closing the gun show loophole.

Wouldn’t that — I mean, isn’t something better than nothing?

MURPHY: Listen, I won’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, right? I want universal background checks. I want a ban on assault weapons. But I will settle for something much less, because that will save lives.

So I have been in negotiations all year with Senator Toomey, with Senator Cornyn, with Lindsey Graham, trying to find a compromise that can get 60 votes in the Senate. Maybe this shooting will bring people back to the table.

But we haven’t taken a vote this year, in part because I have asked Senator Schumer for the room to try to negotiate that compromise that you’re talking about.

Listen, I wish my Republican colleagues didn’t sort of have epiphanies on this issue only after mass school shootings. But that tends to be what happens. And so my hope is that, in the next couple of weeks, we can get back to the table and see if we can, at the very least, as you said, maybe close the gun show loophole. That alone would save a lot of lives.

TAPPER: The prosecutor in Michigan is doing something unusual. She is charging the parents of the alleged gunman with involuntary manslaughter, because not only did they buy him the gun; they ignored his disturbing behavior, searching for ammunition on his cell phone, drawing violent pictures at school.