Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 | 5:03 p.m.
Sen. Harry Reid delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor today in which the minority leader called for background checks to curb gun violence.
Reid said he has started reaching out to senators and discussing what can be done despite a Republican majority in Congress. The parting line in his 1,250-word speech was a direct jab at his political foes: "To pass background checks, we need Republicans to stop acting as puppets of the (National Rifle Association)."
Reid's remarks come four days after a lone gunman opened fire at a community college in Roseburg, Ore., killing nine in the small community. His words echoed what President Barack Obama said immediately after the mass shooting — that events like these have become horrifically “routine."
"The United States is a global leader in mass shootings," Reid said. "This great nation — can't we raise standards in this country for gun purchases? The answer, of course, is yes. And we can do it by not infringing on rights to restrict access to firearms, but to keep Americans safe."
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