House Dems End Sit-In After 26-Hour-Long Battle

House Democrats ended their historic sit-in after a 26-hour fight, according to CNN. Meanwhile, MSNBC reports that the Senate is scheduled to vote on two gun control bills on Thursday.

Leaders called off the day-long protest after Rep. John Lewis, (D-Georgia), made closing remarks saying, “We must come back here on July 5th more determined than ever before.”

On Thursday morning, Speaker Paul Ryan, (R-Wisconsin), formally adjourned the House. Members are scheduled to return after the holiday recess.

Ryan stood firm on his word throughout the protest, denying a vote, but called the House into session twice to vote on unrelated matters. Ryan and other GOP leaders blasted the Democrats’ efforts throughout the day, with the Speaker calling it a “publicity stunt.”

GOP leaders also shuttered C-SPAN’s live coverage, but that did not stop policy makers from tweeting and posting live feeds on Facebook and Periscope to disseminate their cause.

Democrats entered the House on Wednesday afternoon, with the aim to force a gun control vote that would prevent individuals on the terror watch list from purchasing guns and to expand background checks.

Rep. Katherine Clark, (D-Connecticut), helped formulate the idea to protest, but asked Rep. Lewis to lead because of his seniority and experience as a civil rights icon.

“I approached him on the floor to say how much I wanted to end the silence in Congress, that I couldn’t take any more moments of silence that weren’t followed by action on behalf of grieving parents and grandparents and the American public,” Clark said in an MSNBC interview. “We have to do something. And John Lewis, in his way—incredible generous person that he is—said he wanted to do something dramatic and that he was in.”

SOURCES: CNN, POLITICO, MSNBC | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty, Twitter

SEE ALSO:

House Dems On Gun Control Sit-In: “We Will Continue To Fight”

House Democrats Stage Sit-In For Vote On Gun Control

House Dems End Sit-In After 26-Hour-Long Battle  was originally published on ionenewsone.staging.go.ione.nyc