Bernie Sanders Goes AWOL on Guns Filibuster
In the wake of the Orlando massacre, a group of impassioned Senate Democrats launched a filibuster to pressure Congress on gun control. Led by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), the effort to force a vote on a measure that would ban suspected terrorists from purchasing guns and expand background checks lasted more than 14 hours.
In all, more than 40 Senators, including Republican Sens. Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Pat Toomey (R-PA), joined the fight. Starting shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday morning and lasting beyond midnight, in the end, they successfully got a vote scheduled.
But, as progressives cheered, many noticed that Sen. Bernie Sanders was missing from the fray. Sanders, who recently signaled that he would abandon his bid for the Democratic nomination, was reportedly back home in Vermont. He took to social media to show his support.
For skeptics and disillusioned supporters, it wasn’t enough.
Sanders, they noted, is still a sitting U.S. Senator. His absence stirred up a mix of disappointment and outrage, leaving many to wonder openly if Sanders had not just abandoned his colleagues in the well, but also the movement his campaign ignited. It was not difficult to wonder about its future.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/16/telling-moment-as-sanders-goes-awol-on-guns-filibuster.html
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