Friday, June 24, 2016
YOUNGSTOWN
The rare sit-in staged by House Democrats after Republican leadership declined to vote on gun-control legislation could occur again when Congress returns July 5 from recess, said U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan.
“If [Republicans] behave in a certain way, another sit-in is an option,” Ryan, of Howland, D-13th, said Thursday, shortly after the conclusion of the 26-hour sit-in on the House floor. “If Republicans come back from recess and try to move appropriation bills [and ignore gun-control legislation], we can stop that process.”
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, described Democrats participating in the sit-in as “petulant children” who “violated the rules of the House of Representatives by sitting down on the House floor.”
Ryan, who called Republicans “soft on terrorism” during the sit-in Wednesday, said a day later: “People are really now seeing the Republicans holding things up and throwing sand in the gears.”
The House should vote on provisions to ban those on the federal no-fly list from owning guns, require universal background checks, and change a federal rule that allows licensed firearm dealers who begin a background check to sell the weapon to a person if they haven’t been notified within three days if there is a reason to deny that person the gun, Ryan said.
The congressman acknowledged that it’s unlikely that the Republican-controlled House will pass any of the proposals.
“If we lose, we lose, but don’t shut us down because you fear the political ramifications,” Ryan said.
Gun control is such an important issue that Ryan said Republican refusal to address it could cost that party control over the House.
Republicans have 247 House members compared with 188 for Democrats.
For Democrats to gain control of the House, they’d have to pick up 30 seats in the November general election.
“We’ll see a lot of Republican congressional districts where Republicans won’t vote for [Donald] Trump [for president] and some won’t vote at all,” Ryan said. “There’s an opportunity for Democrats to take over the House.”
In response to a reporter’s comment that the scenario is nearly impossible, Ryan said, “I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility for Democrats to take over the House. Three to six months ago I would have said no, but with Trump at the top of the ticket and this issue, it could happen.”
Republicans have said Democrats are trying to take away people’s guns.
Johnson said of the Democrats involved in the protest: “They’re also trying to violate the Second Amendment by taking guns away from law-abiding citizens.”
Ryan said the argument is for “people who don’t want a more meaningful discussion. It’s not close to being true.”
Ryan said he went shooting a couple of weeks ago with his stepson and went hunting a few months ago.