A sit-in staged by Democrats on the floor of the House of Representatives ended Thursday after nearly 26 hours, but Congressman. James McGovern said it does not spell the end of the fight for legislation that would tighten gun control.
McGovern, D-Worcester, was one of several Massachusetts Democrats to participate in the sit-in, which focused on bills strengthening background checks and banning gun sales to people on the government’s no-fly list.
The sit-in failed to force a vote on the bills, but McGovern said the fight would continue — in potentially unconventional ways — both in representatives’ home districts and when the House reconvenes July 5.
He said a actions are needed to end a trend of mass shootings, including the latest one that killed 49 people at an Orlando, Florida, gay nightclub on June 12.
“All we do (after shootings) is hold moments of silence on the House floor,” McGovern said. “The moments of silence have become empty gestures. They’re meaningless. What we need to do is pass laws.”
The sit-in, which began around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and ended about 1 p.m. Thursday, was broadcast on social networking apps including Facebook and Periscope after Republican leadership sent the House into recess and cut off the feed to public service broadcasting network C-SPAN.
McGovern said he believes Republicans — specifically House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin — shut off media coverage with intention of silencing the House’s Democratic minority.
“Clearly the speaker of the house shut the cameras and the microphones off because he didn’t want anyone to hear what we were saying,” McGovern said. “Thanks to Periscope and Facebook Live, people were able to hear what we were saying.”
Thursday morning, Congressman Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, spoke on the House floor. Broadcast via a Facebook Live video stream by Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, Neal gave a three-minute speech reiterating the sit-in’s main talking points.
He also referred to the Orlando shooting, as well as the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that killed 20 children.
“The pain that has been inflicted on them for what now surely will be decades and decades,” Neal said.
“We’re bound by a common principle today. There ought to be two votes in the House of Representatives, easily done, easily accomplished.”
McGovern said he believes the sit-in contributed to unity within the party. He said the entire Massachusetts delegation participated, including Senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, with whom McGovern took and posted a picture from the House floor.
He also said he was happy to see appearances from prominent senators including Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Harry Reid, D-Nevada.
Though those who participated in the sit-in will return to their own districts through the Fourth of July holiday, McGovern said they have already started discussing ways to continue action. One option being discussed is a “National Day of Action,” he said, though they have yet to decide on a day or specifics of action.
As for how Democrats proceed on July 5 and beyond, McGovern said he is not sure exactly what action will be taken, though a continuation of the sit-in is an option.
He said he hopes that there will be a vote on the bills because he knows the Democrats are not going to give up.
“The one thing I can tell you for certain is it’s not going to be business as usual,” McGovern said.
Jack Evans can be reached at jackevan@indiana.edu.