Republicans talking about the preciousness of life when it comes to an unborn child, but then turning around and making life nearly impossible for single parents, parents with disabilities, and families living in poverty is nothing new. Hypocrisy is, after all, the name of the Republican game.

But with Tuesday’s school shooting at an Oxford, Michigan, high school in mind, one Democratic senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy, says he found himself ruminating on the ease with which Republicans preach about life and yet are more than happy to bend over backward for the gun industry. So Murphy went back to Washington, D.C. to share his thoughts—on the Senate floor. Now his passionate 10-minute address is going viral for the right reasons.

On Tuesday, three students ranging from 14 to 17 years of age were killed during a shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan. Eight additional people, including seven students and one teacher, are believed to have been injured. As of now, the suspect (a 15-year-old student at the high school whose identity has not been publicly released) is in custody and was booked as a juvenile, as reported by The Washington Post. The Post reports that it’s still unknown how the suspect allegedly acquired the gun, which was purchased by his father on Friday, Nov. 26. The suspect’s motive is also unknown. 

Murphy opened his address by saying he’s well aware that his Republican colleagues have “very strong views” on abortion. “But,” he continued, he listened to his colleagues “talk about the sanctity of life, the very moment that moms and dads in Michigan were being told their kids weren’t coming home because they were shot at school due to a country that is accepted gun violence due to Republicans fealty to the gun lobby.” Whew.

He told Republicans not to lecture on the “sanctity and importance” of life when “100 people every single day are losing their lives” to gun violence and youth are going to school afraid they won’t come home. 

“You care about life?” Murphy continued. “Then get these dangerous military-style weapons off the streets, out of schools.” He told Republicans it’s also time to require that everyone buying a gun goes through a background check.

Murphy went on to stress that tragedies like this happen in the United States because we “choose to let it happen.” He stressed that we as a nation are not “lucky” but rather that this is a “purposeful” choice made b the nation to “sit on our hands and do nothing.” He said his peers send a “silent message of endorsement” by not doing more to prevent gun violence.

“When Congress, the highest, most important, most powerful leaders in the land do nothing shooting after shooting,” he said. “You can understand why those broken brains imply that as an endorsement.”

“If you’re going to come down here and talk about the sanctity of life,” he continued, “explain to the American people why the gun lobby matters more than the safety of our children who are walking into school every day fearing for their life.”

Murphy shared a clip of his remarks on Twitter, where it’s been viewed more than 2.3 million times.

You can also watch his full remarks on his YouTube channel.

YouTube Video