House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday night dismissed the Democratic takeover of the House floor as a “publicity stunt,” and said Republicans wouldn’t be goaded into allowing a vote on bills that violate the Constitution.
“We’re not going to take away a citizen’s constitutional rights without due process,” he said on CNN.
Democrats want the GOP to allow a vote on bills to expand background checks, and to prevent people from buying a gun if they are on an federal terrorism watch list. But Republicans say those lists are created without giving the people on those lists any chance to defend themselves.
When asked if the NRA was the main factor preventing a House vote on the bills, Ryan rejected that premise.
“No, the Constitution is,” he said. “People have an individual, guaranteed rights to Second Amendment rights.”
“That is what the Constitution requires, and we’re going to stick with the Constitution.”
Ryan said if Republicans and Democrats are going to find a compromise on guns, it won’t happen as a result of the stunt Democrats pulled today.
“This is nothing more than a publicity stunt,” he said. “This is not a way to bring up legislation.”
“This isn’t trying to come up with a solution to the problem, this is a way to get attention,” he added.
Ryan said it makes no sense to take up the bills Democrats are calling for, since they have already been defeated in the Senate.
Democrats started their protest just before noon, by refusing to recognize regular order and demanding a vote on two Democrat-supported gun bills.
When Republicans tried to return to regular order at noon, Democrats refused to leave, and the GOP was forced to recess the chamber.
