Dick Durbin: “I wish to direct a question to the Senator from Connecticut. First, I would like to acknowledge that the Senator from…”

“I wish to direct a question to the Senator from Connecticut. First, I would like to acknowledge that the Senator from Connecticut took the floor about 10 hours ago and has stood here with his colleagues, the Senator from New Jersey, Mr. Booker, and many others who have joined him during the course of the day. Senator Blumenthal of Connecticut was also here. I would like to ask a few questions and then ask the Senator to react to a news story that just came out. I think it is important for us from time to time to remind those who are just starting to follow this debate why we are here and particularly why the Senator has been on the floor for 10 hours straight. This is unusual in the Senate. It is technically known as a filibuster, when one Member takes the floor and doesn't yield the floor. It is done for a variety of reasons. It has been done throughout the history of this Chamber. But I hope we can make it clear from the outset why we are doing it today, why the Senator is leading it, why we are joining him today, and why this is an important message that we are trying to send across America from one coast to the other, including the islands of Hawaii. We are dealing with this because what happened in Orlando has really focused America on gun violence and the terrible tragedy that occurred there, with 49 deaths and over 50 who are seriously injured as a result of this gunman who turned his guns loose on these poor people who gathered at this nightclub.…”