There’s About to Be a Major Power Struggle on the House Floor – Republicans Will Try to Take It Back

House Republicans Are About to Try to Hold a Vote on a Spending Bill as Democrats Are Holding a Sit-In to Demand a Vote on Gun Control

More than eight hours into a sit-in for gun control waged by Democrats on the actual floor of the House, Republicans will try to retake the Floor, and power, from the Democratic revolt. 

It’s unclear exactly how this will happen. It could come down to Republicans using the power they wield as the majority to summon the Sergeant at Arms and have the Democratic Congressmen, somewhere around 72, physically removed from the House floor. That would be a last resort, given the bad publicity the GOP has received today by refusing to grant the Democrats’ one demand: allow a vote on gun control. 

Democrats are prepared to stay the course, even overnight:

Huffington Post’s Jennifer Bendery tweets:

Speaker Paul Ryan did his caucus no favors Wednesday evening by heading to CNN and telling the American people, 32,514 of whom are killed by gun violence every year, that the Democrats’ efforts to stem the epidemic of gun deaths was just a “publicity stunt.”

Republicans appear hesitant to force the issue, but at some point they will have to concede to Democrats’ demand or push the issue and try to hold the vote. Speaker Ryan, Politico reported at 7:57 PM EDT, “told Republicans he would try to hold a vote around 8 p.m. on legislation to override an Obama administration rule.”

The Hill reports Republican Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania says whatever the GOP does to retake the floor “will be loud and probably be noisy.”

“You might want to get in the gallery and watch the show,” he told reporters.

Rep. John Lewis posted this to Facebook: 

 

EARLIER:

The Speaker of the House Just Called Democrats’ Efforts to Pass Gun Control ‘A Publicity Stunt’

Breaking: After Democrats Take Over the House for Gun Control, GOP to Hold Emergency Meeting

#NoBillNoBreak: Democrats Have Literally Taken Over Congress to Demand a Gun Control Vote

Republicans Trying to Regain Control of House Floor as Democrats Stage Sit-In for Gun Control

Breaking: Dozens of Democratic Congressmen Stage Sit-In on House Floor to Demand Vote on Gun Control

 

Image by John Lewis/Facebook