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Stabenow calls on Republican Senators to help pass gun legislation

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate on May 25, 2022.
Courtesy of Senator Stabenow's office
Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate on May 25, 2022.

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow is calling on Senate Republicans to take action following yesterday’s mass shooting that left 21 dead at a Texas elementary school.

On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Stabenow was scheduled to speak on legislation for school lunches. Instead, she gave an emotional speech about yesterday’s mass shooting.

Stabenow says bills addressing gun laws that have been added to the Senate’s calendar, like universal background checks and closing the gun show loophole, are popular and would need just 10 Republican votes to become law.

"We don't need everybody," said Stabenow. "Some folks can go run and stand with gun manufacturers and, and what has become an incredibly extreme NRA...we just need 10, 10 people to stand up and go this is too much. This has gone too far. We can do better than this."

During her speech, Stabenow turned and looked at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who just minutes before, spoke about the shooting, but did not mention gun legislation or possible reforms. McConnell called for prayers to the families impacted and thanked first responders for their actions.

Watch Senator Stabenow's full speech below.

TX Shooting Floor Speech.mp4

"I'd like to ask Leader McConnell. What is the number? How many children will he describe and sympathy will he show for dead children on the floor of the U.S. Senate before it's enough? How many? When is it enough when too many children have been killed?," said Stabenow.

Stabenow added that she remembers when the assault weapons ban went into effect in 1994. The law only lasted for 10 years.

"I grew up in northern Michigan community surrounded by legal gun ownership...nobody in my family stopped hunting. Nobody in my family had to say oh well, we can't do what we want to do because military assault weapons aren't available," said Stabenow.

Stabenow ended her speech by saying that Americans should not have to live in fear when going to the grocery store, dropping their kids off at school or going to their place of worship.

Rick Brewer has been news director at WCMU since February 2024.
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