Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.), two of the leaders of last month’s sit-in, met with Ryan Tuesday evening to ask for votes on those measures.
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The GOP has planned to approve Republican legislation this week that would let federal authorities block gun sales to suspected terrorists, but only if they could prove in court within three days that the suspect was planning to engage in terrorism.
The House advanced a plan to debate a budget bill for Washington that included dropping three GOP amendments that would have effectively wiped out existing gun-control laws in the city, rules that are among the country’s most restrictive.
Speaker Paul Ryan said last week that the House will vote on a larger anti-terrorism package that includes legislation aimed at preventing suspected terrorists from getting their hands on firearms. And each party says the other’s proposals are defective.
“The Republican governor, the Republican leadership of the Legislature and a group of Republican lawmakers said no, they’re sticking to their guns”, Cruz said.
King, who opposes Ryan’s gun bill in favor of several stronger measures, suggested GOP leaders would simply scrap their plans to move the firearm provision if they can’t win the support of more conservatives. “He said they were looking into it”. In an interview, Larson said Democrats won’t decide whether to resort to disruptive tactics – including potentially reviving their sit-in – until after their session with Ryan.
Meanwhile, top Republicans disclosed that they are mulling potential punishments for the lawmakers who broke the chamber’s rules last month while participating in a 26-hour sit-in that protested House inaction following following the Orlando massacre.
The Democrats said the meeting was cordial.
Democrats have said the bill is too weak and want the chamber to vote on expanding background check requirements for gun buyers, as well as on banning firearms sales to terror suspects without prosecutors first proving the buyer is embarking on terrorism.
“We will not stop until every one of the NRA-funded politicians either steps up to the plate and enacts change, or we will vote them out of office”, said Barbara Parker, whose 24-year-old daughter Alison, a television journalist in Virginia, was murdered by a former colleague during an early morning broadcast less than a year ago.
Ryan, R-Wis., on Friday announced there would be a vote this week on legislation that incorporates a broad swath of Republican proposals to counter radicalization in the United States.
“We can have security and keep to the Constitution at the same time”, Mr. Ryan said Wednesday after meeting with fellow House Republicans.
“We wanted action, and we wanted action now”, Mr Lewis, the civil rights hero, said of their message to Mr Ryan.
“There have been a number of reports from members of certain things. about some of the Democrats and the way they treated [staff]”, he said, according to the news outlet. They also said they were investigating Democrats’ behavior during the overnight sit-in, including whether they intimidated House aides and damaged furniture.
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Drew Hammill, spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the GOP measure was “meaningless” and added, “The American people are demanding action and the least Speaker Ryan can do is get out of the way”.
