House Democrats stage congressional sit-in to demand a vote on gun control
Democratic members of Congress staged a sit-in on the House floor Wednesday morning, demanding a vote on gun reforms in the wake of the Orlando massacre.
Led by Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who was a leader of the Civil Rights movement, more than two-dozen members joined the sit-in — which came a little over a week after 49 people were killed and 50 more injured when a man opened fire on a gay nightclub.
SEE ALSO: Paul Ryan unveils GOP alternative to Obamacare
%vine-url="https://vine.co/v/5BDxPzPOmDh"%
"We have lost hundreds and thousands of innocent people to gun violence," Lewis said at the outset of the sit-in. "Tiny little children, babies, students and teachers, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons, friends and neighbors. And what has this body done, Mr. Speaker? Nothing. Not one thing. We have turned a deaf ear."
See more from the floor:
Because of that, lawmakers involved in the sit-in snapped their own pictures and tweeted them out, despite the fact that photos are not allowed in the chamber.
The sit-in comes two days after the Senate failed to pass gun reforms that would have barred suspected terrorists from purchasing guns, as well as expand background checks to people wishing to purchase firearms.
Senate Democrats staged a 14-hour filibuster to push for votes on those bills, which went on to fail.
See images from the sit-in:
