The Pittsburg Post-Gazette - House Democrats Continue Sit-In for Second Day, Push for Vote on 'No Fly, No Buy' Gun Bill

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By Tracie Mauriello

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri brought a pillow. Norma Torres of California brought a blanket. Jerrold Nadler of New York brought a magazine. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland brought snacks. Several members brought iPads.

And they all brought their frustration to the House floor Wednesday.
 Democrats appeared prepared for a long stay on the floor, where at noon Wednesday they began a hostile takeover, stalling all floor action for hours so they could get a vote on legislation that would block the sale of guns to suspected terrorists on the government's no-fly list.

About 200 Democrats participated, including several members of the Senate.

Overnight, House Speaker Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, and his fellow Republicans reclaimed control long enough to force through a major spending bill. They then abruptly adjourned around 3:15 a.m. until after the Fourth of July and left the Capitol.

But as Republicans streamed to the exits, Democrats stayed on the House floor, shouting "No bill no break!" and waving papers with the names of gun victims written in black. Rep. Maxine Waters of California said she was ready to stay "until Hell freezes over."

A core group of about a dozen Democrats carried their sit-in past daybreak today, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, giving speeches that mixed victory declarations with vows to never back down in their drive to curb firearm violence. A crowd cheered them on from outside the Capitol and many more following the theatrics on social media.

"While the Americans don't always expect us to win, they do expect us to fight," said Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, as dawn broke and the few remaining lawmakers sat in a paper-cluttered chamber beneath empty visitor galleries. "We demonstrated to the American why we can't get votes on common sense safety measures."

The Democrats' passion and frustration is fueled by GOP leaders' refusal to allow votes on gun-control measures after the June 10 massacre of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

"There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise, when you have to move your feet. This is the time," said U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, who led the sit-in. "We have to occupy the floor of the House. Rise up, Democrats. Rise up, Americans."

About 12 hours in, the sit-in nearly turned violent when Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, approached a gaggle of Democrats, shouted at them and wagged his finger in the face of Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla.

Ms. Brown pushed a wooden podium toward Mr. Gohmert and other members stood between them with some shouting, "Separate them! Separate them!" until Mr. Gohmert was led off the floor.

The altercation occurred shortly after Mr. Ryan briefly gaveled in the House in an attempt to override a presidential veto on fiduciary rules.

As he called the House to order, Democrats quickly mobilized, shouting "No vote, no break!" as they descended on the well of the House, filing the area in front of the speaker's rostrum. Each carried a sign bearing the name of a different victim of gun violence.

They quieted their chanting so one Democrat -- it wasn't possible to see who in the chaos -- attempted to address Congress in a speech beginning, "To my Republican friends."

He was quickly drowned out by GOP members who shouted, "Order! Order!"

That prompted Democrats to break into a refrain of the civil rights anthem, "We Shall Overcome."

As votes were recorded, Democrats pledged to continue to occupy the well of the House until they got a vote on gun control.

The veto override failed and the House recessed again about 10:30 p.m. before convening again before ending the day's business.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Ryan called the sit-in a publicity stunt aimed at taking away a constitutional right without due process by forcing a vote on legislation the Senate already rejected last week.

"We do believe that if someone is on a watch list trying to buy a gun, authorities have to have a procedure in place so they are notified. We agree with that," he said. But Republicans disagree with efforts to unilaterally block purchases by people on watch lists, because it's possible for names to be added erroneously.

The GOP, which controls the only cameras allowed in the chamber, shut down the live feed carried by C-SPAN. However, members themselves defied House rules to film the proceedings and post video and photos to Periscope. C-SPAN eventually picked up a feed from Periscope.

Members including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California blasted GOP leaders for shutting off the cameras.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a top GOP aide said leaders were merely enforcing the rules on cameras that members previously agreed to. She noted that in 2008, when Ms. Pelosi was speaker, Democratic leaders did the same thing to Republicans.

"They not only shut off the cameras; they actually shut off the lights," the aide said.

Rep. Mark Takano of California was among those filming, using a borrowed cell phone and a pink external battery when his own phone was drained. Other members took to social media.

"After the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, Congress still refuses to act. We'll be here until that changes," U.S. Rep. Scott Peters of California tweeted.

About 30 minutes after the sit-in began, U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, tried to move ahead with the business of the day. Democrats stood for the daily prayer and enthusiastically participated in the Pledge of Allegiance but would not leave the well of the House -- the area in front of the speaker's rostrum -- so that business could be conducted. Mr. Poe declared the House out of order and gaveled it out of session.

"The House cannot operate without members following the rules of the institution, so the House has recessed subject to the call of the chair," Ryan press secretary AshLee Strong said later.

U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forrest Hills, was among those occupying the well. He said he won't until Mr. Ryan allows a vote.

Mr. Doyle wants action on more than just the terrorist loophole. He also wants a vote to expand background checks and restrict access to assault-style weapons.

"What is the civilian purpose for a high-capacity clip that allows you to shoot 30, 50, up to 100 bullets without reloading? You don't hunt with that. You don't protect your home with that," Mr. Doyle said as the sit-in neared its 10th hour. "Why should anyone be able to buy that? These are weapons of war, pure and simple."

He said he is taking a stand for victims in Orlando and in Newtown, Conn., as well well as those in his own district including the five adults and an unborn child killed during a barbecue in Wilkinsburg in March.

"The time for us to be silent is over," he said. "We are not leaving the well of this house -- we are not ceding this well -- until Speaker Ryan gives us a chance to vote."

All but one member of Pennsylvania's Democratic delegation participated, at least for a little while. Philadelphian Chaka Fattah, who was convicted Tuesday in a political corruption case that is likely to end his political career, did not participate.

Some members read lists of people killed by guns. Others read text messages that people hiding in a bathroom at Orlando's Pulse nightclub sent loved ones just before a gunman took their lives. 
 Many brought impassioned pleas and personal stories of friends and constituents affected by gun violence.

During brief remarks on the floor, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, recalled the oldest and youngest victims of the shootings in Orlando and in San Bernardino, Calif., and she called out Republicans for not doing more to prevent more people like them from becoming victims.
 "They're missing in action," she said.

Ms. Kaptur said Democrats have been willing to compromise by narrowing the group of people who would be covered by the proposed no-fly, no-buy legislation.

"They wouldn't go for that. They couldn't accept the reasonable standard, so they did nothing," she said. "I don't see why it's so hard for the Republicans to join us to [address] this moral crisis that our nation faces."

As she spoke Wednesday evening, a crowd of gun-rights activists swelled outside the Capitol.

By midnight, about 500 people had gathered beneath a trio of lamp posts on the House side of the Capitol.

"Hey, hey NRA! You can't beat th PTA," they chanted at the urging of Democratic Maryland State Sen. Jamie Raskin, who was among several speakers to address the crowd.

"The people who sat down tonight are standing up for the Constitution and the social contract with the United States of America," Mr. Raskin said. "In the face of legislative obstructionism, civil disobedience is the only response."

Republicans including U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus, R-Sewickley, issued written statements.

"I appreciate the passion of my Democrat colleagues, but there are rules," Mr. Rothfus wrote. "Those rules must be followed or order breaks down."

On the other side of the Capitol, bipartisan support was growing for another gun bill. Sponsored by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, it would prohibit gun sales to the 81,000 suspected terrorists on the government's no-fly list and the 28,000 on the "selectee list" of people who are subject to extra security screening at airports.

That's a much narrower group than would have been covered by an earlier bill by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., which Democrats favor. The Feinstein bill would have covered about 1 million people on various government terrorism lists.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., supports the Collins approach while U.S. Sen Bob Casey, D-Pa., said he was still reviewing it.

In a written statement Wednesday, Democrat Katie McGinty, who is running against Mr. Toomey in November, said she prefers the Feinstein approach but would vote for the Collins bill if she were in the Senate now.

House Democrats pledged to occupy the floor until GOP leaders consent to a vote, and many appeared to be settling in for the long haul.

"There are people who think we're going to leave this floor. There are people who think we are just going through the motions," Rep. John Larson of Connecticut. "That is not going to happen."

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