The newest ‘Civil Right’, the control of guns by the Government.
Via The Hill:
The House has left Washington for its July Fourth recess, but Democrats have no intention of relenting in their push for tougher gun laws.
Energized by their recent takeover of the House floor, the Democrats are eying a series of tactics and events for members to bring to their home districts through the break, including a “national day of action” designed to remind voters that Republicans have refused to bring the issue on the floor.
In a letter sent to all Democrats on Friday, the organizers behind the sit-in urged their colleagues to “build the momentum” created by the protest, in hopes of forcing the Republicans’ hands by dint of public pressure.
“Our sit-in showed that the Republican Leadership can no longer ignore the epidemic of gun violence,” the Democrats wrote. “A movement was born and will only continue to grow.”
The letter was signed by Reps. John Lewis (Ga.), John Larson (Conn.), Katherine Clark (Mass.), David Cicilline (R.I.), Robin Kelly (Ill.) and Mike Thompson (Calif.).
Their suggested day of action: June 29.
Their suggested tactic: almost anything.
“Whether it [is] a press conference, roundtable, or telephone town hall, we encourage you [to] host an event showing that Democrats in Congress will keep up the fight against gun violence,” the lawmakers wrote. “Local partners including survivors, law enforcement and faith leaders can be excellent partners and can help carry our message even further.”
The Democrats’ lengthy and unruly sit-in, unprecedented in recent congressional history, was a direct response to the refusal of Republican leaders to consider tougher gun laws in the wake of the June 12 shooting massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were killed and another 53 injured by a single gunman.
The Democrats are pushing two separate proposals: One to bar gun sales to those on the FBI’s terrorist watchlists; and another to expand background checks on prospective buyers.
Republican leaders have rejected those proposals, arguing that they would infringe on Second Amendment rights. They’re focusing their Orlando response on efforts to fight terrorism, citing the shooter’s invocation of terrorist group ISIS amid the attack.
That response has infuriated Democrats, who stormed the House floor Wednesday morning and commandeered it with speeches and chants for 25 hours. Many Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), never slept.