NEW BRITAIN–The morning after President Barack Obama’s rare Oval Office address, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Elizabeth Esty stood at the YWCA in New Britain to kick off Acts of Kindness week.
It’s the third year commemorating those who died during Sandy Hook tragedy.
“I think we all feel at a little bit of a loss for words,” Esty said.
Last week, another mass shooting took the lives of 14 people in San Bernardino, California. This latest act of violence though, is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
In response ,on Sunday night President Obama talked about U.S. strategy to defeat ISIS both at home and abroad.
But Blumenthal says he’s looking for more from the President.
“I want to see the president articulate a more specific strategy that involves support for regional allies on the ground,” said Blumenthal. “Not United States troops in combat but air strikes, intelligence interception, cutting off funding.”
The senator supports stopping individuals on the no-fly list from purchasing guns, a measure brought up by the president during his televised address.
Esty also supports that, and was glad the president called for gun control measures. However, she also wants specifics on President Obama’s strategy against ISIS.
“We ought to be this week passing legislation to close the terrorist watch loophole, absolutely we should be doing that,” said Esty. “It’s totally common sense, I can’t imagine anyone who doesn’t think that someone who we are so worried about we won’t let them on an airplane? We let them go out and buy a gun.”
Both Esty and Blumenthal support Obama’s call for Congress to vote on authorizing military action in the fight against ISIS.
