Hasta La Gadget!

WASHINGTON — Democrats took over the House floor Wednesday in a demonstration over Republican leaders’ refusal to hold a vote on gun legislation.

As Democrats loudly chanted “No Bill, No Break,” Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) gaveled the House back into session, nearly 11 hours after the Democratic sit-in began. Democrats earlier in the day began protesting the Republican refusal to take up the so-called No Fly, No Buy legislation, which would bar people on the terrorist watch list from purchasing guns.

It was an incredible scene, as Democrats clogged the House floor, holding the printed names of gun victims over their heads and shouting over the speaker.

Ryan, meanwhile, ignored the protests and read a prepared script to set up a procedural vote, pretending that the House was in order and that Democrats weren’t breaking rules.

When Ryan stepped down from the podium, Democrats chanted “Shame!”

As the vote progressed, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) tried to address the House.

“To my Republican friends,” Deutch began. But now it was Republicans’ turn. They shouted Deutch down and didn’t let him speak.

Eventually, as a response, Democrats began singing, “We Shall Overcome.”

The singing was interrupted when presiding officer Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) called the vote, which prompted Democrats to begin a new chant: “Give us a vote!”

The scene capped a day of tumult.

At the end of the vote series, Democrats and Republicans lingered on the House floor, unsure what would happen next.

Democrats broke into sporadic chants of “Shame!” and “No Bill, No Break.” Eventually, they returned to making speeches at the podium, giving no signal they would stop their occupation of the House floor.

Some Republicans hung around, occasionally shouting at them. Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.) antagonized Democrats for not having a plan to fight terrorism, and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) started yelling.

“Radical Islam killed these people!” Gohmert shouted, pointing to a poster of gun violence victims from Orlando.

Gohmert got into a shouting match with Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) that escalated until Democrats and Republicans broke it up. 

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