Hoyer: The Public is Not Going to be Diverted and We're Not Going to Rest

Press Release

For Immediate Release:

2016-06-23T00:00:00

Contact Info:

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) discussed House Democrats' sit-in this afternoon on CNN. After holding a sit-in for twenty-six hours on the House Floor, House Democrats will be returning to their districts to engage their constituents and continue calling for a vote on legislation to address gun violence. Below are excerpts from the interview and a link to the video:

Click here to watch the video.

“Well, the House left, as you know, notwithstanding the fact that [House Republicans] had two-and-a-half days left to go to do some work--they left. Now, they will argue that we didn't let them do their work. What happened was we asked for a bill to be put on the Floor, two bills supported by 85 to 90 percent of the American public, and they refused to do so. I think we won the issue in what we were doing in this particular instance, and that was focus the public’s attention on the unwillingness of the Republican Majority to respond to the epidemic of gun violence that is occurring across our country, most recently, of course, in Orlando, but even more recently than that in individual shootings that we see throughout our country.”

“So we're going to continue to raise the consciousness of the American public, to raise the focus of the Americans who believe so strongly that we need to pass legislation, which will prevent people on a terrorist list from buying guns and will have enhanced background checks.”

“There is great conviction throughout the country and we feel that Congress ought to deal and act and make their schools and theaters and their restaurants and their neighborhoods safer.”

“The public is not going to be diverted and we're not going to rest. We're not on the Floor but we're going to be in our neighborhoods and districts and around the country urging people to engage, contact their Members of Congress, and demand the safety of our communities be put on the Floor and vote on it.”