News & Opinion
Breaking: Democratic House Sit-In For Gun Control Ends After 25 Hours
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Democrats exited the Chamber with a sense of victory.
June 23 2016 1:03 PM EST
June 23 2016 1:03 PM EST
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Democrats exited the Chamber with a sense of victory.
Following country's mourning and anger in the aftermath of the Orlando shooting, Democrats are demanding action. Yesterday, after House Republicans refused to hear a bill on gun control, Democrats organized a sit-in on the Chamber floor. The peaceful protest allowed their demands to be heard: increased background checks and banning people on the government's no-fly list from buying firearms.
Republicans adjourned the chamber at around 3:15 AM and will return after July 4. Now, 25 hours after it begun, the sit-in has ended. Democrats exited the Chamber with a sense of victory.
"We're going to win," said Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. "When we come back here on July 5, we're going to continue to push, to pull, and if necessary, to sit down."
Lewis joined other Democrats in singing the civil rights anthem, "We Shall Overcome," outside the Capitol. Lewis, who participated in civil rights sit-ins during the '60s, sees this as another pivotal moment for change in American history.