since senate republicans defeated a bipartisan proposal to expand background checks on gun purchases. the 54-46 vote. while the terror attack drew attention away from the vote, senators are starting to feel the heat including passionate voices from the debate for whom the debate was very personal. reporter: sandy hook elementary principal dawn hochsprung was shot and killed in newtown. this week her daughter drove from connecticut to new hampshire to confront kelly ayotte who voted against the gun control bill. i m just wondering why the burden of my mother being gunned down in the elementary school isn t important? i felt the enhanced improvements to our background checks system, as you and i both know, the issue wasn t a background check system issue in
improvements to our background checks system, as you and i both know, the issue wasn t the background check system, the issue is sandy hook. the senator says she thinks the problem lies in the mental health system. she joins thus morning. you said to the senator, look, i don t think the burden for gun sellers, why is that the foblg us and not the burden on me losing my mother? explain what you said and the point to the senator? i had actually spoken with her the day after the vote, in her office in d.c. and she said that there was too much of a burden that was going to be imposed on people who were trying to sell guns. that bothered you. that s not good enough. what about the burden on the 33 people a day murdered in the united states? why is that not as important as
let s get to politics right now. some lawmakers who voted against expanding the background checks system for gun sales in the united states, they are now dealing with the blowback from gun control advocates. just this week the daughter of the principal killed in the sandy hook school massacre presented. in another meeting erica walked out when she didn t get an answer to her questions. also gun control i want to bring in our chief political analyst gloria borger. gloria, how much pressure are some of these lawmakers who voted against expanding background checks beginning to feel right now? i think some of them in some states as you just pointed out in arizona, in new hampshire, are beginning to feel the pressure. they re beginning to see the popularity go down because what you re seeing is the pro-gun
checks, calling them a burden on gun owners. i m just wondering why the burden of my mother being gunned down in an elementary school isn t as important as that. i felt the enhanced improvements to our background checks system as you and i both know, the issue wasn t a background check system issue in sandy hook. erica lafferty didn t do this on her own. she was sent by the group mayors against illegal guns which helped cnn get this footage. and cnn is told billionaire new york mayor michael bloomberg s well-funded organization also plans to launch this tv ad thursday. senator ray yot is giving criminals a pass. it s shameful. reporter: it s one part of a coordinated effort to use this week s senate recess to keep the gun control issue alive. despite losing a pivotal vote two weeks ago to expand background checks. the amendment is not agreed to. reporter: in order to find the 60 votes needed to pass a background check bill, supporters need to change some
the national rifle association, forged a compromise on background checks for gun purchases. manchin visibly touched by newtown families when he met with them on capitol hill. the legislation would require a background check on purchases at gun shows and on the internet. but would exempt private transactions. it would require states and the federal government to provide records on criminals and the violently mentally ill to the national background checks system. but kit pass a republican congress? many of them are looking carefully at the legislation, but i don t know in the end how many will support it. reporter: many gun owners are not convinced. none of these laws will stop crime. the criminals will just go on getting their guns like they always have. reporter: while the measure is far from the assault weapons ban the president pushed for after the sandy hook shootings, some of the parents of children killed say it s a first step. what i have seen here is people working to