Time to occupy the House to demand action. #NoBillNoBreak #DisarmHate pic.twitter.com/C7BZpzNvxL
— Rep Donna F Edwards (@repdonnaedwards) June 22, 2016
Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights leader and Democratic congressman from Georgia, is leading a sit-in on the House floor to demand a vote on a bipartisan bill that would prohibit the sale of guns to suspected terrorists on the government’s no-fly list. Because the House hasn’t been gaveled into session, C-Span is not broadcasting the event, and photography is not permitted in the chamber.
But Mother Jones reporter Hannah Levintova is at the Capitol, documenting the scene at the sit-in. Here’s what she witnessed:
Rep. Lynch says he’s a rules guy, was nervous about a sit-in at first. “But when they shut off this mic, and they shut off the cameras…”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
“…and would not let members of Congress stand up for the people who sent us here, well now it was time to get into some good trouble”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
12 hours in, we’re ready to stay the night. (Thanks to my staff for the sleeping bag) #holdthefloor pic.twitter.com/a9SForKPDe
— Elizabeth Esty (@RepEsty) June 23, 2016
Incredible video of @replouiegohmert yelling “radical Islam killed these people” at #NoBillNoBreak pic.twitter.com/ziHdc5eYBO
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) June 23, 2016
House members now singing “we shall overcome”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Speaker Paul Ryan is here. His microphone is working. House is chanting #NoBillNoBreak, again deafening
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep Tonko: “See this as what it is, a justified indignation of the status quo.”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep Tonko: “I say to the Republican majority, see this as what is is. A passionate plea to respond to our communities across the nation.”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep. Capuano just now: “I’m tired, I need a shower!” followed by much applause
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep Doyle: “What is the civilian purpose of a high capacity clip that allows you to shoot 30, 50 rounds at a time? U don’t need that 2 hunt”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep. Butterfield: “this is the beginning of a movement and the American people know it”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep. Beatty lists out the history of civil disobedience that led up to today: “Thank you Rosa Parks, thank you MLK, thank you John Lewis.”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep. John Lewis says it would be “legislative malpractice” for the House not to deal with these issues
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep. Warren brought Dunkin Donuts, plus it’s her birthday.
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Clark: Rep. Lewis “crested that bridge for all of us,” & we must crest this bridge for those who have lost their loved ones to gun violence
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep. K Clark making analogy between John Lewis’s march in Selma and today’s sit-in
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep. Clyburn announces that they are planning to work through the evening, might “retire in the morning”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep. Hoyer: “The NRA says people kill people. We are on this floor to make sure that *people* who shouldn’t have guns don’t get guns”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Just stepped outside, there’s a big crowd outside the capitol pic.twitter.com/6jia5S27X0
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 23, 2016
Rep Moulton says he supports the 2A “You don’t have to be opposed to 2A to believe that reasonable restrictions shld keep our country safe.”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Ex-Marine Rep. Moulton just now: “I had to carry an assault weapon every day to do my job…There is no place for that on America’s streets.”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep Esty: “Since Sandy Hook, 100,000 americans have been killed with a gun. Think about that”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Esty speaking now. She’s the rep for Newtown, CT and vice-chair of the Gun Violence Prevention task force.
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
“There will be an attempt to take this floor from us sometime tonight,” says Rep. Larson. “Stand firm, Democrats”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Brown says she voted for assault weapons ban in 1994: “I want more than no fly, no buy! I want to ban these weapons.”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Corrine Brown of FL holding up newspaper with photo of Obama and Biden post Orlando. “The president has had to do this too many times”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Various reps repeating: “Where are you, Mr. Speaker?”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Garamendi just now: “universal background checks! What is wrong with that? What is radical about that?!”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep Schakowsky recounts speaking in front of Congress post Columbine. “I was naive enough to think this would be a tipping point”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Bernie Sanders has arrived on the House floor, to raucous applause from the gallery
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Raul Ruiz, a physician, describing the bloody, gory experience of treating gunshot victims and then consoling families when they die.
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep D W Schultz: if “the republican cowards who run this chamber” would turn the microphones on, we could all be heard a little better
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
This list of Orlando victims is long enough that I had time to go to bathroom and come back during its reading
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Grayson of FL reading out names and ages of Orlando victims on House floor
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Matsui of CA reading out the names of San Bernardino victims
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Cleaver reminds of bible story where God says to Moses: this is not the time to pray, this is the time to move.
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
I’m seeing House members sitting on floor passing around a ziploc full of crackers. #snacks
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Couple reps were just shouting that House needs to turn mics and cameras back on. “Let the people see what’s happening in their own house”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Heck points out that 3 people have been shot in WA while we’ve been sitting here
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Rangel says he’s been House 46 yrs, retiring this year. When people ask him what highlight of his career was, he’ll choose today.
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep Pocan: “the majority in this House will not stand up to the gun lobby and the gun manufacturers”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Pocan recounting driving in his car last Sunday and hearing the body count in Orlando going from 20 to 49 over the drive
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Rep. Jeffries a few mins ago: “we’re here to sit down so this congress will finally stand up”
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
Led by Rep. Pelosi, House members just held a moment of silence. Now chanting #NoBillNoBreak
— Hannah Levintova (@H_Lev) June 22, 2016
