House GOP Starts 4th of July Recess Early as Democrats Continue Round the Clock Gun Control Sit In

Republicans Leave DC for Vacation, Democrats Hold the Floor to Demand Vote on Gun Control

For more than 20 hours House Democrats have been holding a sit-in to demand Republicans allow a vote on gun control. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan just after 10 PM Wednesday night broke into the protest to hold a series of votes while Democrats continued their protest by waving signs with the names of Americans killed by guns. The final vote was held at 3 AM.

House Republicans decided that rather than engage with Democrats and allow a vote on legislation that up to 90 percent of Americans want, they would start their 4th of July vacation early, and put the House in recess.

“The House will have a pro forma session at 9 a.m. Friday but won’t return for legislative votes until Tuesday, July 5 and will then adjourn again 10 days later until after Labor Day,” The Hill reports.

Speaker Ryan labeled House Democrats’ efforts to pass legislation that would ban suspected terrorists from buying guns and expand background checks to almost all gun purchases “a publicity stunt” on CNN and on the House floor. Later, his spokesperson continued that very same rhetoric in an early morning statement.

“Despite the publicity stunt on the floor, House Republicans were intent on not allowing these tactics to stop us from completing this important business,” AshLee Strong said. “With that tangible accomplishment, we will be moving on to the previously scheduled district work period.”

That important business included funding a Zika virus bill, but also unsuccessfully attempting to repeal a Department of Labor rule that states financial advisors have a fiduciary responsibility to place their client’s needs first.

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