House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi dared the House Republican leadership on Thursday to punish Democrats for their June “sit-in” on the House floor that blocked legislative business for a day.
Pelosi, D-Calif., said she doesn’t think Democrats deserve any punishment for commandeering the House floor and disrupting legislative business from June 22 until June 23, but said she believes the GOP is formulating a plan to “do something now to punish but then change the rules for the next Congress.”
The protest was led by Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a prominent and beloved civil rights activist. Democrats were protesting the GOP’s refusal to hold a vote on their gun control proposal.
“If they want to come in and say we are going to punish you for having a demonstration on gun violence led by an all-American icon, John Lewis, I say bring it on,” Pelosi said Thursday.
Republicans are considering a vote disapproving of their action and some kind of change to the House rules in the next Congress.
Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Tuesday Republicans needed to take action in order to protect the institution and the ability of Democrats and Republicans to work together.
