U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta, is currently leading a sit-in on the House floor, part of an attempt to force votes on gun control legislation in the wake of the June 12 Orlando massacre.
Democrats want GOP leaders to agree to a vote on legislation that would prevent people on the government's no-fly list from buying guns. They said Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., should keep the House in session, skipping the scheduled July 4 recess, to debate and vote on gun violence legislation.
In a searing speech on the House floor, Lewis said Congress has dragged its feet for too long:
"We were elected to lead, Mr. Speaker. We must be headlights, and not taillights. We cannot continue to stick our heads in the sand and ignore the reality of mass gun violence in our nation. Deadly mass shootings are becoming more and more frequent. Mr. Speaker, this is a fact. It is not an opinion. We must remove the blinders. The time for silence and patience is long gone.
We are calling on the leadership of the House to bring common-sense gun control legislation to the House Floor. Give us a vote. Let us vote. We came here to do our jobs. We came here to work. The American people are demanding action."
Republicans, who control the floor, recessed the chamber after the sit-in began. They attempted to restart legislative business about 20 minutes later but quickly recessed again after dozens of Democrats stood in the well of the House and chanted "no bill, no break."
Check out these photos that have emerged on Twitter from House Democrats:
The group also wrote a letter to Ryan outlining their objectives:
Dear Mr. Speaker:
As the worst mass shooting in our nation's history has underscored, our country cannot afford to stand by while this Congress continues to be paralyzed by politics. We urge you to lead the House into action and work with both sides of the aisle to pass commonsense solutions to keep American children and families safe.
There is broad agreement among Americans – greater than 90 percent by some measures – that expanding background checks for firearms purchases is a reasonable measure for this Congress to pass. An overwhelming majority also agree that we should enact safety measures that keep guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists.
The question before us is, what is this Congress waiting for?
Over the last 12 years, gun-related crimes claimed more American lives than AIDS, war, and illegal drug overdoses combined. Since Newtown, tens of thousands of lives have been lost to this deadly crisis. The number of bills that have been debated and passed by this Congress to prevent such deaths is zero.
Together we represent families who are worried and frustrated – millions of Americans who are fed up with the inaction in Congress. There is no doubt that our path to solutions will be arduous, but we have to agree that inaction can no longer be a choice that this Congress makes. We cannot enact solutions for families at home if the Speaker will not even allow a debate.
Therefore, we stand with thousands of brokenhearted families who have not been served by this Congress, and millions more who are counting on us to find the moral courage to do the right thing.
We stand together in our refusal to sit by while this Congress abdicates its fundamental responsibility
to protect American families from harm. We urge you to keep the House in session until we have robust debate and votes on expanding background checks and banning the sale of firearms to suspected terrorists.
Until then, we are resolved and committed to speaking out for victims, survivors, and families at home who deserve a vote. We are prepared to continue standing on the House floor whenever the House is in session to assist you in bringing these bills to a vote.
Sincerely,
[Members of Congress]
Apparently sitting on the House floor is technically a violation of House rules. Ditto for taking photos in the chamber.
http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2016/06...ilAttribute5%%
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Originally Posted by Ezekiel 33
