This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/24/us/politics/senate-gun-control.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Democrats End Sit-In After 25 Hours, Drawing Attention to Gun Control Democrats End Sit-In After 25 Hours, Drawing Attention to Gun Control
(about 4 hours later)
WASHINGTON — House Democrats ended their 25-hour sit-in over gun control legislation on Thursday, a protest Speaker Paul D. Ryan labeled a high-profile stunt that undermined the basic institutions of government. WASHINGTON — The tactics were more dramatic, a 25-hour siege by House Democrats. The words were more urgent, as Senators debated a compromise offered by a Republican. But by day’s end on Thursday, Congress was in the same place: a fierce stalemate over the nation’s gun laws, even with the additional pressure from the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla.
“One of the things that makes our country strong is our institutions,” Mr. Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin, said at a news conference, as Democrats continued to lay siege to the House chamber. “No matter how bad things get in this country, we have a basic structure that ensures a functioning democracy. We can disagree on policy but we do so within the bounds of order and respect for the system, otherwise it all falls apart.” In the Senate, a bipartisan proposal drafted by Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, won a majority of 52 votes in support — including the backing of seven other Republicans and 44 Democrats. But the measure fell short of the 60 votes needed to overcome procedural obstacles and was set aside, with no chance of passage soon.
“Eventually we’ll find a compromise because the need is too real,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who supported the Collins measure. But Mr. Graham said that another terrorist attack might have to occur before Congress was spurred to action or, he said, lawmakers might need to get an earful from their constituents.
“The only way this movie ends is for people to calm down, go home, chill out and get beat up a little bit,” Mr. Graham said. “I am going to get beat up a little bit. I am going to get praised a little bit. And then we’ll come back and realize we have to do something about this.”
The measure proposed by Ms. Collins would block gun sales to terror suspects on the government’s no-fly list or on the so-called selectee list of individuals who are subjected to heightened screening before they are allowed to board a plane. It was far more narrow than proposals broadly favored by Democrats that focused on the much larger terror screening database, but it also put a far lighter burden on law enforcement officials seeking to block a gun sale than a measure put forward by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican.
Ms. Collins said she was encouraged by the outcome. “I am very pleased with the strong vote that we received today,” she said. “It’s a sign that the Senate is serious about passing common-sense provisions.”
Others were less optimistic.
“It is absolutely not dead,” said Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Democrat of North Dakota, who was a main partner with Ms. Collins in drafting the proposal and selling it to Democrats. But asked if the measure was still alive, Ms. Heitkamp was less certain. “Well, we’ll see,” she said.
In the House, Democrats on Thursday ended their more than 25-hour sit-in — a protest Speaker Paul D. Ryan labeled a high-profile stunt that undermined the basic institutions of government.
“One of the things that makes our country strong is our institutions,” Mr. Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin, said at a news conference, as Democrats continued to lay siege to the House chamber. “No matter how bad things get in this country, we have a basic structure that ensures a functioning democracy. We can disagree on policy, but we do so within the bounds of order and respect for the system. Otherwise it all falls apart.”
Mr. Ryan said he was “not going to allow stunts like this to stop us from carrying out the people’s business.” He added, “This is about a publicity stunt and now a fund-raising scheme.”Mr. Ryan said he was “not going to allow stunts like this to stop us from carrying out the people’s business.” He added, “This is about a publicity stunt and now a fund-raising scheme.”
But Democrats countered that they had effectively drawn attention to the gun issue. “The American people are with us and people around the world are with us,” said Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia and one of the leaders of the protest. But Democrats countered that they had effectively drawn attention to the gun issue and created momentum that would ultimately lead to legislation. “The American people are with us and people around the world are with us,” Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia and one of the leaders of the protest, said.
Indeed, Democrats had amassed a large audience by using social media, primarily Twitter’s live-feed Periscope service, to broadcast their sit-in after the official television coverage of proceedings ceased because the House was not formally in session. It was a strategy that was at once very effective in gaining an audience while also being an affront to House rules. Indeed, Democrats had amassed a large audience by using social media, primarily Twitter’s Periscope live-stream feature, to broadcast their sit-in after the official television coverage of proceedings ceased because the House was not formally in session. It was a strategy that was at once effective in gaining an audience while also being an affront to House rules.
But on legislative business, it was Mr. Ryan who prevailed. He personally reclaimed control of the House, pounding his gavel and muscling through a major appropriations bill that included funding for combating the Zika virus, without debate. But on legislative business, it was Mr. Ryan who prevailed. He personally reclaimed control of the House, pounding his gavel and muscling through a major appropriations bill that included funding for combating the Zika virus.
He and the Republicans, who hold the majority, then declared the House adjourned with no votes until after the Fourth of July holiday.He and the Republicans, who hold the majority, then declared the House adjourned with no votes until after the Fourth of July holiday.
Democrats continued to give speeches all through the night. And they said they would continue to press their case throughout the recess for votes to tighten the nation’s gun control laws. Democrats still gave speeches all through the night. And they said they would continue to press their case throughout the recess for votes to tighten the nation’s gun control laws.
“We will not rest,” the Democratic leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, said in a speech that began at 7 a.m. With barely a dozen colleagues gathered around her, looking like bedraggled travelers who spent the night in a bus station, Ms. Pelosi politely rebuffed an officer who asked if Democrats might clear the chamber for a daily security sweep. “We’re not going to be able to do that,” she replied. “We will not rest,” the Democratic leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, said in a speech that began at 7 a.m. With barely a dozen colleagues gathered around her, looking like bedraggled travelers who had spent the night in a bus station, Ms. Pelosi politely rebuffed an officer who asked if Democrats might clear the chamber for a daily security sweep. “We’re not going to be able to do that,” she replied.
By pushing through the appropriations bill on a largely party line vote without any debate, Mr. Ryan had to abandon his commitment to regular order in the House. That was a step that he said he had taken with absolutely no remorse, given the Democrats’ efforts at obstruction. By pushing through the appropriations bill on a largely party-line vote without any debate, Mr. Ryan had to abandon his commitment to regular order in the House. It was a step that he said he had taken with absolutely no remorse, given the Democrats’ efforts at obstruction.
“Not in the least,” Mr. Ryan said when asked if he had backed away from his promise to maintain order. “What we’ve learned is that Democrats are not interested in advancing the process. They are interested in stopping the process. Our members want Congress to function.”“Not in the least,” Mr. Ryan said when asked if he had backed away from his promise to maintain order. “What we’ve learned is that Democrats are not interested in advancing the process. They are interested in stopping the process. Our members want Congress to function.”
He continued, “When the Democrats are trying to stop Congress from doing anything, that is not an open process. That is a no process. That is a halting process.” He added: “When the Democrats are trying to stop Congress from doing anything, that is not an open process. That is a no process. That is a halting process.”
In fact, Democrats had expressly sought an opportunity to debate the bill before Mr. Ryan pushed it through. Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, voiced surprise that Mr. Ryan had not offered the usual equal time for debate. “I don’t see any time for debate, which kind of surprises me,” Mr. McGovern said.In fact, Democrats had expressly sought an opportunity to debate the bill before Mr. Ryan pushed it through. Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, voiced surprise that Mr. Ryan had not offered the usual equal time for debate. “I don’t see any time for debate, which kind of surprises me,” Mr. McGovern said.
“We’re locked out of everything,” he said, adding: “This is a lousy process, Mr. Speaker.” “We’re locked out of everything,” he said, adding, “This is a lousy process, Mr. Speaker.”
The appropriations measure including the money for Zika is almost certain to fail in the Senate. Democrats said the bill had been loaded with all sorts of provisions they would never accept because the measure would result in millions of dollars in cuts in other health care-related spending. The White House also reacted negatively to the legislation, which was the product of negotiations between House and Senate Republicans with no substantial input from Democrats. The appropriations measure including the money for Zika is almost certain to fail in the Senate. Democrats said the bill had been loaded with all sorts of provisions they would never accept because the measure would result in millions of dollars in cuts in other health care-related spending.
There were scenes of chaos across the House floor as Republicans tried to resume regular business. At one point, Democrats began singing “We Shall Overcome” — altering the lyrics to say “We shall pass a bill some day” — as Republicans shouted in outrage. The White House also reacted negatively to the legislation, which was the product of negotiations between House and Senate Republicans with no substantial input from Democrats.
And when Representative Don Young, Republican of Alaska, tried to confront the chanting Democrats, he was restrained by aides and colleagues. Democrats have repeatedly accused Republicans of siding with the National Rifle Association rather than with the victims of gun violence. And Democrats picked up a new slogan, saying that the N.R.A. stands for “No Republican Action.”
Democrats have repeatedly accused Republicans of siding with the National Rifle Association rather than with the victims of gun violence. The Democrats’ exasperation has grown since Monday, when four gun-control measures — two favored by Democrats and two by Republicans — were defeated in the Senate.
Even by the hyperpartisan standards of modern Washington, it was a brazen disruption that underscored the outrage many lawmakers have expressed about the failure of Congress to act on gun legislation in the aftermath of numerous mass shootings.
In 2008, House Republicans, then in the minority, held a “quasi session” during summer recess to protest the Democrats’ refusal to hold votes on energy policy amid sharply rising gasoline prices. The Republicans met in a darkened chamber, a point they recalled with no small amount of outrage amid Democrats’ complaints on Wednesday. An important difference, though, was that the House was in recess then and no business was interrupted as the protest continued for several days.