After the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, tributes to the victims were left at a shrine set up around the town's Christmas tree on December 17, 2012. (Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
'End the Filibuster and Pass Gun Reform,' Progressives Say on Sandy Hook Anniversary
"We can't allow children to be gunned down in schools, year after year."
Progressives on Tuesday marked the nine-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting with fresh demands for U.S. Senate Democrats to kill the filibuster, this time eyeing a need to pass gun reform legislation.
"Congress should've acted nine years ago--but that opportunity isn't gone today."
"Nine years ago today, 26 loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary," tweeted Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. "We can't allow children to be gunned down in schools, year after year."
"Congress should've acted nine years ago--but that opportunity isn't gone today," Jayapal added. "It's time to end the filibuster and pass gun reform."
On December 14, 2012, 20 children and six educators were killed at the Newtown, Connecticut school, a tragedy in which the gunman used high-capacity magazines. The shooting elicited global shock and grief, and, in the United States, increased focus on the gun lobby's power over U.S. lawmakers.
Former U.S. congressional candidate and Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner also lamented that after "nine years... no action has been taken to pass meaningful gun legislation."
"Abolish the damn filibuster," tweeted Turner.
GOP obstruction in the evenly divided Senate this year has fueled mounting demands for Democrats to change the chamber's rules and reform or fully abolish the filibuster, which effectively requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass any legislation.
In a video address Tuesday, President Joe Biden--who was vice president in the Obama administration when the shooting took place--called the Sandy Hook massacre an "unconscionable act of violence" that "shocked" the nation.
He expressed frustration that Sandy Hook and subsequent mass shootings have failed to result in the passage of meaningful gun control legislation.
"It was so darn frustrating, and it's still frustrating now for you and me and so many others in Parkland, Florida; and Oxford, Michigan; and communities across the country--these horrific shootings make national headlines and embarrass us as a nation," said Biden.
Politico added:
Even with majorities in both chambers of Congress and control of the White House, Democrats have struggled to advance gun control legislation through the first year of Biden's presidency. Still, Biden highlighted gun violence prevention funding in his administration's signature social spending and climate change legislation and called for the passage of three gun violence prevention bills by the Senate, arguing that the legislation was "long overdue."
"As a nation, we owe these families more than prayers," Biden said. "We owe them action."
The Friends Committee on National Legislation, in a tweet marking the anniversary, said: "Let us never forget the victims of gun violence. And let us never forget that lawmakers can take commonsense legislative steps to address this public health epidemic."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Progressives on Tuesday marked the nine-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting with fresh demands for U.S. Senate Democrats to kill the filibuster, this time eyeing a need to pass gun reform legislation.
"Congress should've acted nine years ago--but that opportunity isn't gone today."
"Nine years ago today, 26 loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary," tweeted Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. "We can't allow children to be gunned down in schools, year after year."
"Congress should've acted nine years ago--but that opportunity isn't gone today," Jayapal added. "It's time to end the filibuster and pass gun reform."
On December 14, 2012, 20 children and six educators were killed at the Newtown, Connecticut school, a tragedy in which the gunman used high-capacity magazines. The shooting elicited global shock and grief, and, in the United States, increased focus on the gun lobby's power over U.S. lawmakers.
Former U.S. congressional candidate and Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner also lamented that after "nine years... no action has been taken to pass meaningful gun legislation."
"Abolish the damn filibuster," tweeted Turner.
GOP obstruction in the evenly divided Senate this year has fueled mounting demands for Democrats to change the chamber's rules and reform or fully abolish the filibuster, which effectively requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass any legislation.
In a video address Tuesday, President Joe Biden--who was vice president in the Obama administration when the shooting took place--called the Sandy Hook massacre an "unconscionable act of violence" that "shocked" the nation.
He expressed frustration that Sandy Hook and subsequent mass shootings have failed to result in the passage of meaningful gun control legislation.
"It was so darn frustrating, and it's still frustrating now for you and me and so many others in Parkland, Florida; and Oxford, Michigan; and communities across the country--these horrific shootings make national headlines and embarrass us as a nation," said Biden.
Politico added:
Even with majorities in both chambers of Congress and control of the White House, Democrats have struggled to advance gun control legislation through the first year of Biden's presidency. Still, Biden highlighted gun violence prevention funding in his administration's signature social spending and climate change legislation and called for the passage of three gun violence prevention bills by the Senate, arguing that the legislation was "long overdue."
"As a nation, we owe these families more than prayers," Biden said. "We owe them action."
The Friends Committee on National Legislation, in a tweet marking the anniversary, said: "Let us never forget the victims of gun violence. And let us never forget that lawmakers can take commonsense legislative steps to address this public health epidemic."
Progressives on Tuesday marked the nine-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting with fresh demands for U.S. Senate Democrats to kill the filibuster, this time eyeing a need to pass gun reform legislation.
"Congress should've acted nine years ago--but that opportunity isn't gone today."
"Nine years ago today, 26 loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary," tweeted Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. "We can't allow children to be gunned down in schools, year after year."
"Congress should've acted nine years ago--but that opportunity isn't gone today," Jayapal added. "It's time to end the filibuster and pass gun reform."
On December 14, 2012, 20 children and six educators were killed at the Newtown, Connecticut school, a tragedy in which the gunman used high-capacity magazines. The shooting elicited global shock and grief, and, in the United States, increased focus on the gun lobby's power over U.S. lawmakers.
Former U.S. congressional candidate and Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner also lamented that after "nine years... no action has been taken to pass meaningful gun legislation."
"Abolish the damn filibuster," tweeted Turner.
GOP obstruction in the evenly divided Senate this year has fueled mounting demands for Democrats to change the chamber's rules and reform or fully abolish the filibuster, which effectively requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass any legislation.
In a video address Tuesday, President Joe Biden--who was vice president in the Obama administration when the shooting took place--called the Sandy Hook massacre an "unconscionable act of violence" that "shocked" the nation.
He expressed frustration that Sandy Hook and subsequent mass shootings have failed to result in the passage of meaningful gun control legislation.
"It was so darn frustrating, and it's still frustrating now for you and me and so many others in Parkland, Florida; and Oxford, Michigan; and communities across the country--these horrific shootings make national headlines and embarrass us as a nation," said Biden.
Politico added:
Even with majorities in both chambers of Congress and control of the White House, Democrats have struggled to advance gun control legislation through the first year of Biden's presidency. Still, Biden highlighted gun violence prevention funding in his administration's signature social spending and climate change legislation and called for the passage of three gun violence prevention bills by the Senate, arguing that the legislation was "long overdue."
"As a nation, we owe these families more than prayers," Biden said. "We owe them action."
The Friends Committee on National Legislation, in a tweet marking the anniversary, said: "Let us never forget the victims of gun violence. And let us never forget that lawmakers can take commonsense legislative steps to address this public health epidemic."