On Wednesday, approximately 30 Democrats began the protest, led by Rep. Lewis, which grew to more than 100 members a few hours later.
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More than 80 Democrats participated in the sit-in, including Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8) and Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-3), Virginia’s two other Democratic Congressional representatives.
For one thing, a Senate compromise bill offered by Maine Republican Sen.
The Democrats are demanding a vote on two bills preventing terrorists such as the Orlando shooter, Omar Mateen, from buying guns, similar to the measure rejected by the Senate.
Speaker Paul Ryan slammed the move, calling it political theatre.
Ryan said that despite outcry from Democrats, measures that would ban terror suspects from buying guns and impose universal background checks would not be considered because they “already failed in committee”. “Not we’re sitting at this lunch counter and we’re not leaving until you remove this item from the menu”.
The protest was broadcast live over social media, after the Republican leadership ordered C-SPAN’s cameras to be turned off.
U.S. lawmakers, mainly Democrats, have introduced several bills in recent years aimed at reducing gun violence, including legislation to expand background checks, but none have passed Congress.
“Just because they cut and run in the dark of night, just because they have left doesn’t mean we are taking no for an answer”, said Pelosi, D-Calif. But Republicans say the straw that broke the camel’s back, the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, is not a gun control issue.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters members intend to continue their sit-in as long as it takes to get a vote on a bill. They adjourned the chamber early with no more votes until after the 4 July holiday.
While they may have lost the legislative battles at hand, Democrats on both sides of the Capitol were congratulating themselves in gaining attention for their demands for action, first by a 15-hour Senate filibuster last week and then with their occupation of the House floor.
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“I was elected to Congress to work to solve the problems facing our country”, Torres said in a statement. We’re going to win. The National Rifle Association disputed that. Collins’ bill would block people on the no-fly list from getting guns, but provide an appeals process to allow them to challenge the denial. The attack followed other violent incidents over the past years including the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
