https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB-sQH3xKfY
May 8, 2025 UNITED STATES CAPITOL
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor on Thursday to sound the alarm over a coordinated effort by the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans to dismantle the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the most comprehensive gun safety law passed in decades. Pointing to clear evidence that the law is saving lives, Murphy slammed the effort as a reckless attempt to score points with the gun lobby, no matter the cost to American families.
Transcript
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE
SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT.
MR. MURPHY: THANK YOU, MR.
PRESIDENT.
MR. PRESIDENT, I WANT TO COME TO
THE FLOOR TODAY TO TALK ABOUT A
MR. MURPHY: I WANT TO COME TO
THE FLOOR TO TALK ABOUT A
SUCCESS STORY BUT ONE THAT WAS
INTERRUPTED.
BACK IN 2022, WE WERE ALL
SHOCKED TO WATCH NEWS PLAYING
OUT DURING AN AFTERNOON THAT WE
WERE HERE WORKING IN THE SENATE
OF ANOTHER MASS SHOOTING.
THIS ONE IS OF UNTHINKABLE SIZE.
-- A GROUP OF US, REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS WERE ABLE TO COME
TOGETHER AND SET ASIDE THE
DITCHESES THAT WE HAVE AND STILL
HAVE ON THE ISSUE OF GUN
VIOLENCE IN THIS COUNTRY,
DECIDED NOT TO ARGUE ABOUT AN
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN FOR
INSTANCE, AND INSTEAD WE DECIDED
TO WORK ON FINDING AT LEAST
COMMON DENOMINATOR AS WE CALLED
IT.
TRYING TO FIND A SET OF
COMMONSENSE CHANGES TO OUR GUN
LAWS, COMMONSENSE INVESTMENTS IN
OUR COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD
HOPEFULLY TOGETHER TRY TO PUT A
JOURN WARD PRESSURE -- DOWNWARD
PRESSURE THAT UNTIL THEN HAD
BEEN A SPIKE IN RATES OF
HOMICIDES.
IT'S TRUE IN THIS COUNTRY YOU
ARE TEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE
SHOT IN YOUR SCHOOL, IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD, THAN YOU ARE IN
ANY OTHER HIGH-INCOME DEVELOPED
NATION.
THAT'S NOT BAD LUCK.
THAT'S NOT HAPPENSTANCE.
THAT'S BECAUSE IN AMERICA WE
DECIDED TO HAVE A TON OF WEAPONS
IN THE HANDS OF VERY DANGEROUS
PEOPLE.
AND WE ALSO DON'T SPEND ENOUGH
TIME TRYING TO UNWIND SOME OF
THE REASONS WHY YOUNG PEOPLE IN
PARTICULAR GET INTO LIVES OF
REALLY RISKY AND POTENTIALLY
VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.
SO WE CAME TOGETHER IN 2022 AND
WE PASSED THE BIPARTISAN SAFER
COMMUNITIES ACT.
IT WAS A BIG BIPARTISAN VOTE.
IT WASN'T CLOSE.
THE FINAL TALLY WAS 65 TO 33,
NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF THE SENATE
VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS
COMMONSENSE GUN SAFETY MEASURE.
AND IT WASN'T ANYTHING CLOSE TO
WHAT I SEE AS NECESSARY IN ORDER
TO TACKLE THIS EPIDEMIC IN THIS
COUNTRY BUT IT WAS SIGNATURE.
IT WAS FIVE CHANGES IN
GUN LAWS, STOPPING DOMESTIC
ABUSERS FROM GETTING THEIR HANDS
ON GUNS, PUTTING A MEANINGFUL
WAITING PERIOD WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE
ARE HASTILY BUYING AN ASSAULT
WEAPON, MAKING IT EASIER FOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT TO GO AFTER DRUG
TRAFFICKING RINGS.
IT WAS FIVE MEANINGFUL CHANGES.
BUT IT WAS ALSO A BIG
INVESTMENT, A BIG INVESTMENT IN
THE KIND OF SERVICES THAT CAN
HELP INTERRUPT VIOLENCE.
A LOT OF MY REPUBLICAN FRIENDS
SAID WE DON'T BELIEVE IT'S THE
GUNS.
WE THINK IT'S MENTAL ILLNESS.
WELL, I DON'T AGREE BUT THIS IS
HOW YOU PUT TOGETHER A
COMPROMISE PRESIDENT SO WE
PASSED THE BIPARTISAN SAFER
COMMUNITIES ACT WHICH INCLUDED A
LANDMARK, $14 BILLION
INVESTMENT, MOST OF IT IN MENTAL
HEALTH, MOST OF IT DIRECTED
TOWARD KIDS, SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL
HEALTH, BUT ALSO SIGNIFICANT
INVESTMENTS IN SCHOOL SAFETY,
JUST HARDENING SCHOOLS TO MAKE
IT HARDER FOR A SHOOTER TO GET
INSIDE.
AND COMMUNITY ANTIGUN VIOLENCE
INITIATIVES, THE WORK THAT LOCAL
COMMUNITY GROUPS ARE DOING IN
NORTH CAROLINA AND CONNECTICUT,
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO JUST
TRY TO WRAP SERVICES AROUND
PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE AT RISK FOR
GUN VIOLENCE OR STOP THE CYCLE
OF VIOLENCE ONCE THE FIRST
SHOOTING HAPPENS.
SO WE PASSED THIS LEGISLATION.
WE CROSSED OUR FINGERS.
WE SAID LET'S HOPE THAT WE'RE
RIGHT AND THAT THESE CHANGES IN
GUN LAWS AND THESE INVESTMENTS
WE'RE MAKING IN OUR COMMUNITIES
WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WELL, WHAT HAPPENED AFTER WE
PASSED THAT LAW WAS ABSOLUTELY
STUNNING.
THE BIGGEST TWO-YEAR DECLINE IN
GUN VIOLENCE IN THE HISTORY OF
RECORDED STATISTICS IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE
AND CLAIM THAT THE ENTIRE REASON
WAS THE BIPARTISAN SAFER
COMMUNITIES ACT, BUT IT WAS A
BIG PART OF THE REASON BECAUSE
WE DID MAKE IT HARDER FOR BAD
PEOPLE TO GET THEIR HANDS ON
GUNS.
WE DID DELIVER THE KIND OF
SERVICES THAT ARE NECESSARY.
YOU'RE SEEING THIS DOWNWARD
TRAJECTORY.
LET ME JUST PUT THE NUMBERS ON
IT.
IN 2023 THERE WERE 659 MASS
SHOOTINGS IN AMERICA.
IN 2024, THERE WERE 500.
THAT'S A 24% ONE-YEAR DECLINE IN
MASS SHOOTINGS.
THAT MEANS THAT THERE WERE 160
MASS SHOOTINGS THAT DIDN'T
HAPPEN, 160 COMMUNITIES THAT
WERE NOT TERRORIZED IN 2024.
AND THIS BILL HAD A LOT TO DO
WITH IT.
OVERALL GUN DEATHS WENT DOWN
FROM 2023 TO 2024 FROM 19,000 TO
16,700.
THAT WAS A 12% REDUCTION.
WE NEVER IN THIS COUNTRY'S
HISTORY SEEN ONE-YEAR DECLINES
IN GUN HOMICIDES IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD OF 12%.
CERTAIN CITIES SAW ASTRONOMICAL
DECLINES.
IN HARTFORD WE SAW A 39% DROP IN
HOMICIDES FROM 2023 TO 2024.
THIS YEAR 2025, HARTFORD IS ON
TRACK TO HAVE THE LOWEST
RECORDED INSTANCES OF GUN
VIOLENCE.
THAT'S HOMICIDES AND NONFATAL
SHOOTINGS SINCE 2006.
NEW HAVEN SAW A 39% DROP IN
HOMICIDES.
AS I THINK I SAID, OVERALL IN
CONNECTICUT, WE HAD 167
HOMICIDES IN 2023.
IN 2024 WE HAD 63.
IT'S WILD.
AND THIS HAPPENED IN BALTIMORE.
THIS HAPPENED IN CHICAGO.
IN MOST OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN
THIS COUNTRY AND IN RURAL AREAS
AS WELL.
WE SAW THIS DRAMATIC, DRAMATIC
DECLINE.
SO IT IS JUST SOMETHING TO
CELEBRATE BECAUSE IT'S NOT EASY
TO GET THAT KIND OF CONSENSUS.
IT'S NOT EASY TO GET THAT KIND
OF CONSENSUS, AND WE SHOULD
CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT THERE
ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE, LARGELY YOUNG MEN WHO
ARE ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE
BILL THAT WE PASSED.
BUT THIS PROGRESS IS IN THREAT
OF BEING INTERRUPTED.
AND THE REASON IS THAT THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS REVERSED
COURSE.
I WANT TO TALK SPECIFICALLY
ABOUT HOW THEY ARE UNDOING THE
PROGRESS OF THIS BILL, BUT THEIR
ATTEMPT TO TRY TO REVERSE THE
BROADER PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE
MADE ON REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE IS
PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE.
LET ME JUST GIVE YOU A HANDFUL
OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO MAKE
OUR COMMUNITIES LESS SAFE.
FIRST THEY CLOSED THE OFFICE OF
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION SET UP TO TRY TO
BETTER IMPLEMENT THE BIPARTISAN
SAFER COMMUNITIES ACT.
THIS WASN'T A TERRIBLY POLITICAL
OFFICE.
IT WAS JUST TRYING TO COORDINATE
ALL THE WORK BEING DONE ACROSS
AGENCIES TO REDUCE VIOLENCE IN
OUR COMMUNITIES.
TRUMP WOULD HAVE TAKEN THIS
OFFICE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION,
BUT HE DIDN'T.
HE JUST SHUTTERED IT.
THERE'S NO OFFICE OF GUN
VIOLENCE PREVENTION ANYMORE IN
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
ON MARCH 20, THE ADMINISTRATION
ANNOUNCES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO
START A PROCESS OF RESTORING
FIREARMS RIGHTS TO INDIVIDUALS
WHO HAVE HAD THEM TAKEN AWAY
BECAUSE THEY HAD A SERIOUS
CRIMINAL RECORD.
THIS IS LIKELY ILLEGAL.
THERE'S AN APPROPRIATIONS BILL
RIDER THAT SAYS THE ATF CAN'T DO
THIS, BUT THE MESSAGE WAS SENT.
WE ACTUALLY THINK THAT DANGEROUS
PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET
THEIR GUN RIGHTS BACK.
THAT SAME DAY TRUMP'S DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE FILED A MOTION IN
FEDERAL COURT TRYING TO OVERTURN
A DECISION TO SAY THAT SILENCERS
ARE NOT PROTECTED BY THE SECOND
AMENDMENT.
TRYING TO SAY THAT NO STATE
LEGISLATURE COULD BAN OR
REGULATE THE USE OF SILENCERS.
SILENCERS ARE BROADLY USED BY
KILLERS.
BY CRIMINALS WHO ARE TRYING TO
HIDE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE
ENGAGED IN CRIMINAL LETHAL
CONDUCT.
ON APRIL 7, DOJ ANNOUNCED THAT
IT WAS REPEALING A POLICY FROM
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION THAT
SAID SIMPLY THIS.
IF YOU'RE A GUN DEALER AND
YOU'RE ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL
CONDUCT, WE'RE GOING TO PULL
YOUR LICENSE.
AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU
TWO OR THREE OR FOUR SHOTS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A ZERO
TOLERANCE POLICY FOR GUN DEALERS
THAT ARE SELLING GUNS ON TO THE
BLACK MARKET.
THAT'S A POLICY MOST AMERICANS
WOULD SEE AS COMMON SENSE.
BUT THE DOJ ANNOUNCES THAT IT IS
GOING TO LET OFF THE HOOK GUN
DEALERS THAT ARE VIOLATING THE
LAWS.
NOW, THROUGHOUT THE LAST 100
DAYS, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
HAS BEEN SENDING ALL SORTS OF
SIGNALS THAT THEY'RE
DEPRIORITIZING THE WORK OF ATF.
MOST RECENTLY ON APRIL 9 THEY
ANNOUNCED THAT THE ARMY
SECRETARY WOULD NOW BE THE
ACTING HEAD OF ATF.
BASICALLY TELLING ATF AGENTS WE
DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR WORK.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A
FULL-TIME ATF HEAD.
WE'RE PUTTING SOMEBODY WITH A
BIG OTHER IMPORTANT JOB IN
CHARGE OF THE ATF.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY
REAL SUPERVISION OR DIRECTION.
IT WAS JUST A SIGNAL OF
DEPRIORITIZATION OF THE
ENFORCEMENT OF OUR GUN LAWS.
THAT CAUSE THE NEXT DAY, THE
SECOND HIGHEST RANKING OFFICIAL
AT THE SFF -- ATF WHO HAD SERVED
ADMIRABLY FOR 35 YEARS TO RESIGN
IN PROTEST.
AND THEN MAYBE MOST
UNCONSCIONABLY AND MOST
CREWLY -- CRUELLY, JUST A FEW
DAYS AGO ATF TOOK DOWN THE
MEMORIAL WALL DEDICATED TO
VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE.
I MEAN, THERE WERE NAMES UP
THERE, TRIBUTES TO MOMS AND
DADS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO
HAD BEEN KILLED IN EPISODES OF
GUN VIOLENCE.
THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO
HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES OUT THERE
WHO KNEW THEIR LOVED ONE'S NAME
WAS PART OF THAT WALL.
NOW THE WALL COMES DOWN.
FOR WHAT?
JUST TO SEND ANOTHER SIGNAL THAT
THE ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T CARE
ABOUT ATTACKING GUN VIOLENCE.
BUT I REALLY WANTED TO COME TO
THE FLOOR TODAY TO TALK ABOUT
THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT ASSAULTS
THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
HAS MADE ON OUR WORK TO TRY TO
KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE.
AND THOSE ARE THE TWIN
ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION MADE THAT THEY
WERE GOING TO END TWO OF THE KEY
STREAMS OF FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY
GROUPS IN THE BIPARTISAN SAFER
COMMUNITIES ACT.
FIRST, THE ADMINISTRATION
ANNOUNCED IT WAS ENDING $1
BILLION IN GRANTS UNDER THE
BIPARTISAN SAFER COMMUNITIES ACT
TO INVEST IN SCHOOL MENTAL
HEALTH AND THEN THEY WERE ENDING
$800 MILLION OF DOJ GRANTS TO
TRY TO DRIVE DOWN VIOLENCE
THROUGH SUPPORTING COMMUNITY
EFFORTS TO DO THAT WORK.
THIS MAKES NO SENSE.
I UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT A
DIFFERENCE, THE PRESIDENT AND I,
HAVE A DIFFERENCE ON WHAT OUR
GUN LAWS SHOULD BE.
BUT THERE IS CONSENSUS, I
THOUGHT THERE WAS, THAT WE
SHOULD SUPPORT INVESTMENT IN
MENTAL HEALTH.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS A CONSENSUS
THAT WE ALL BELIEVED THAT THERE
WERE GOOD COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT
WERE DOING TOTALLY APOLITICAL
WORK, NOT RELATED AT ALL TO GUN
LAWS, TO TRY TO INTERRUPT CYCLES
OF VIOLENCE.
THE REASON THAT THESE NUMBERS
HAVE BEEN GOING DOWN IS NOT JUST
THE CHANGES IN GUN LAWS.
THE REASON THAT OUR COMMUNITIES
ARE SAFER ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY
IS BECAUSE WE ARE FINALLY
PUTTING REAL MONEY INTO
SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH, INTO
CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH, AND
INTO THE GROUPS IN OUR
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE KEEPING
KIDS ALIVE.
IN OAKLAND, THEY HAVE SEEN A
STUNNING 32% DROP IN HOMICIDES.
AND IT IS A RESULT OF GROUPS
LIKE YOUTH ALIVE.
THIS IS A NONPROFIT THAT IS
WORKING TO PREVENT AND DISRUPT
THE CYCLE OF GUN VIOLENCE.
SO YOU GO INTO A COMMUNITY, YOU
GO INTO A PLACE WHERE A SHOOTING
HAS HAPPENED, AND YOU DO WORK
WITH THE VICTIM OF THAT INCIDENT
TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T
BECOME A CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.
THESE ARE OFTEN CALLED
HOSPITAL-BASED VIOLENCE
INTERVENTION PROGRAMS.
WHEN THERE'S A SHOOTING, YOU
HAVE A SOCIAL WORKER OR
COMMUNITY ANTI-GUN VIOLENCE
WORKER GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
THAT'S OFTEN WHERE THE
COMMUNITIES IS THE MOST ANGRY,
THE FRIENDS OF THAT VICTIM MAY
BE PLANNING FOR REVENGE, AND YOU
DO THE WORK TO STOP THAT CYCLE
OF VIOLENCE.
IT WAS WORKING IN OAKLAND.
YOUTH ALIVE WAS PREVENTING GUN
VIOLENCE.
LAST YEAR, OF THE 113 CLIENTS
THEY SERVED, ONLY ONE OF THEM
WAS INJURED A SECOND TIME.
YET IN THE MIDDLE OF A TH
THREE-YEAR $2 MILLION GRANT THAT
YOUTH ALIVE WAS GETTING, IT WAS
SUSPENDED, TERMINATED.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LAY OFF
THEIR STAFF.
THAT PROGRAM IS BEING SHUT DOWN
IN OAKLAND.
I'LL TELL YOU, I WOULD BET YOU
HOMICIDES ARE GOING TO START
GOING BACK UP IN OAKLAND.
BALTIMORE HAS SEEN A SIMILAR
MASSIVE DECLINE IN GUN VIOLENCE.
A 43% REDUCTION SINCE 2010.
WHAT SUCCESS STORY.
BALTIMORE, ONE OF THE MOST
VIOLENT COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF
RATES OF GUN VIOLENCE, IN THE
COUNTRY, A 43% DECLINE.
CENTER FOR HOPE WAS A GROUP, IS
A GROUP, IN BALTIMORE THAT
PROVIDES PREVENTION AND HEALING
SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE
BEEN THE WITNESSES OR VICTIMS OF
GUN VIOLENCE.
THEY WITH GETTING, AGAIN, A $2
MILLION GRANT TO WORK WITH THE
VICTIM OF GUN VIOLENCE, TO TRY
TO HEAL THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AGAIN, TO STOP THAT CYCLE OF
RETRIBUTIVE VIOLENCE THAT OFTEN
HAPPENS IN PLACES LIKE
BALTIMORE.
DONALD TRUMP CUT THEIR GRANT.
SO IN THE MIDDLE OF GRANT, THEY
ARE LOSING $1.2 MILLION AND THEY
HAVE TO LAY OFF SEVEN EMPLOYEES.
SEVEN FOR HOPE RUNS SIX OF THE
CITY'S TEN SAFE STREET SITES.
THESE OPERATE IN THE POCKETS OF
BALTIMORE THAT SEE THE MOST
SHOOTING.
BECAUSE OF THESE CENTER FOR HOPE
SITES, THESE STREET -- SAFE
STREET SITES, BETWEEN 2023 AND
2024, FOUR OF THE SITES RUN BY
THE CENTER FOR HOPE SAW ZERO
HOMI
HOMICIDES, AND NOW THEY'RE
HAVING TO LAY OFF PEOPLE.
GUESS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN --
THOSE SHOOTINGS ARE GOING TO GO
UP AGAIN.
WE HAD TO WORK REALLY HARD TO
FIND THIS CONSENSUS ON A VERY
DIFFICULT ISSUE.
IT IS ILLEGAL WHAT THE PRESIDENT
HAS DONE.
HE IS NOT ALLOWED, UNDER THE
CONSTITUTION, TO DECIDE
UNILATERALLY TO CANCEL SPENDING
THAT HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED AND
APPROPRIATED BY CONGRESS.
SO MAYBE THE FIRST AND MOST
IMPORTANT THING TO SAY ABOUT
WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE TO
CANCEL MENTAL HEALTH GRANTS AND
ANTI-VIOLENCE GRANTS IS THAT IT
IS ILLEGAL.
HE CAN'T DO IT, AND IT IS LIKELY
THAT A COURT WILL TURN THESE
GRANTS BACK ON.
BUT IT IS ALSO SUCH BAD POLICY.
IT IS CRUEL AND INHUMANE, BUT IT
IS ALSO ILLOGICAL.
WE LITERALLY ARE SEEING THE
FRUITS OF THE LABOR OF THESE
GROUPS.
AND NOT JUST IN SAVING A LIFE OR
TWO.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 30% AND 40%
REDUCTIONS IN VIOLENCE IN THESE
CI
CITIES.
AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS
UNMIS
UNMISTAKABLE.
YOU STOP FUNDING THESE GROUPS
DOING THE MENTAL HEALTH WORK IN
THE SCHOOLS, THAT ARE DOING THE
ANTI-GUN VIOLENCE WORK, AND
THESE RATES WILL START TO GO
BACK UP AGAIN.
THAT'S ILLOGICAL.
BUT IT'S CRUEL AS WELL.
BECAUSE WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS
DOING, FOR INSTANCE, IN CUTTING
OFF THE SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH
GRANTS, IS THAT HE'S CUTTING OFF
EXISTING GRANTS.
IT'S NOT THAT HE IS ANNOUNCING
I'M NOT GIVING ANY NEW GRANTS.
THERE ARE SCHOOLS ALL ACROSS
THIS COUNTRY WHICH HAVE SET UP
NEW MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS,
BECAUSE OF THE GRANTS THEY GOT.
THEY WERE FIVE-YEAR GRANTS, AND
ONE OR TWO OR THREE YEARS INTO
THOSE GRANTS, DONALD TRUMP IS
SHUTTING THE PROGRAMS DOWN.
SO THERE ARE LITERALLY GOING TO
BE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN,
TRAUMATIZED CHILDREN, CHILDREN
WITH SERIOUS MEANTAL ILLNESS,
WITH CYCLES AND HISTORY OF ABUSE
IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD, WHO CREATED
THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ADULT,
THIS ADULT HELPING THEM ADDRESS
THEIR POTENTIAL TENDENCY TO ACT
OUT IN VIOLENT WAYS DUE TO THEIR
MENTAL ILLNESS OR TRAUMA.
ONE DAY THESE KIDS SHOW UP AT
SCHOOL AND THAT ADULT IS GONE.
THAT TRUSTED ADULT THAT CREATED
THAT BOND, THAT RELATIONSHIP
THAT IS HELPING THAT CHILD,
KEEPING THAT SCHOOL SAFE, THAT
RELATIONSHIP, THAT BOND IS
DEST
DESTROYED, BECAUSE IN CUTTING
THESE GRANTS OFF, WITH NO
WARNING, THERE IS NO WAY, IN THE
MIDDLE OF A SCHOOL YEAR, FOR A
SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC TO
FIND THE MONEY UNDER THE
MAT
MATTRESS.
IT'S ILLOGICAL.
IT'S GOING TO DRIVE UP GUN
VIOLENCE RATES.
AND IT'S CRUEL.
TO OUR POOREST AND MOST AT-RISK
COMMUNITIES, AND TO THE KIDS, TO
THE KIDS, THE TRAUMATIZED KIDS,
THE KIDS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL
HEALTH, THAT WE SHOULD THINK
FIRST ABOUT WHEN WE WAKE UP IN
THE MORNING.
THE FINAL THING TO SAY IS THIS,
MR. PRESIDENT, WE'RE PUTTING
OURSELVES OUT OF BUSINESS.
WE'RE PUTTING OURSELVES OUT OF
BUSINESS.
WHAT IS THE POINT OF PASSING A
LAW BY A 65-33 VOTE IF THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
CAN JUST IGNORE IT?
AS I SAID, THAT IS ILLEGAL, AND
THE COURT WILL LIKELY TELL HIM
YOU CAN'T SHUT OFF THE FUNDING
THAT WE APPROPRIATED AND
AUTH
AUTHORIZED.
BUT THIS SHOULD MATTER TO
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WORKED
REALLY HARD TO GET THIS JOB.
WORKED REALLY HARD TO BECOME A
UNITED STATES SENATOR.
THOSE OF US WHO WORK ON THESE
BIPARTISAN PIECES OF LEGISLATION
WORK REALLY HARD TO PASS THEM.
WHAT'S THE POINT OF RUNNING FOR
THE UNITED STATES SENATE, WHAT'S
THE POINT OF WORKING TO FORGE
THIS COMPROMISE, IF THE
PRESIDENT CAN JUST IGNORE IT?
BY THE WAY, IF DONALD TRUMP GETS
AWAY WITH IT, MARK MY WORDS, A
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT WILL DO THE
SAME THING.
IF THIS BECOMES STANDARD
PRACTICE, IF OUR LAWS JUST
BECOME ADVISORY, THEN THERE'S NO
REASON FOR ANY OF US TO SHOW UP
ANY LONGER.
WHY DO YOU WORK SO HARD, WHY DO
YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT GETTING
TO THIS PLACE, IF YOU DON'T CARE
WHEN THE PRESIDENT JUST IGNORES
THE LAWS THAT WE PASS?
IT IS VERY HARD TO FIND
CONSENSUS HERE, ESPECIALLY ON AN
ISSUE AS IMPORTANT AND AS
POLITICALLY SENSITIVE AS GUN
VIOLENCE.
SO, WHEN WE DO FIND THAT
CONSENSUS, ON BEHALF OF TH
E KIDS
AND FAMILIES OUT THERE WHO ARE
BEGGING US TO WORK TOGETHER TO
SAVE LIVES, WE SHOULD PROTECT
THAT CONSENSUS.
