The House of Representatives shouted its way into recess last month with a battle over gun control that will resume this week as the chamber prepares to vote on a bill that Democrats call an empty gesture.
The fate of the legislation — which would create a process to prevent people on no-fly lists from buying guns — seems certain: It is going nowhere. A similar measure has already been defeated in the Senate.
What is uncertain is whether Democrats will again try to shut down the House to demand votes on other gun control proposals.
House Democrats led by civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., staged a sit-in on the House floor June 22, saying they would not leave until Republicans scheduled a vote on gun control legislation. After a nearly 12-hour standoff, Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., simply reconvened the House and called a vote on unrelated matters over the shouts of the Democratic protesters. Republicans ultimately voted to adjourn for the July Fourth holiday, and Democrats remained in the chamber for several hours to continue their appeal for a gun vote.
Late last week Ryan said he would bring to the floor a gun control measure that would create a process for officials to bar terrorism suspects from buying a gun. It is very similar to language the Democrats blocked in the Senate, arguing that it is unworkable, The House bill would allow law enforcement to delay a sale of a gun to a terrorism suspect for three days, in order to allow the Justice Department to make a case before a judge that the person should not be allowed to buy a gun due to terrorism concerns.
The provision is part of a larger package of anti-terrorism measure, including the creation of an office within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate anti-terror efforts, specifically targeting "radical Islamist terrorism." Ryan said this would be the first time that terminology would be included in the law.
But Democrats rejected the measure as soon as it was announced. Minority leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Friday "Democrats will continue to push House Republicans to give the American people a vote on meaningful gun violence prevention measures that will save lives and protect our communities from terrorism."
Lewis and Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., one of the other sit-in organizers, are asking Ryan to allow votes on two amendments, one to expand background checks to private gun sales and another to block gun sales to people on terrorism no-fly lists. If Ryan refuses, it is not clear whether Democrats plan to resume their floor protests.
Ryan said last week that the House will not tolerate further disruptions. His office was gathering recommendations from the House parliamentarian and the Sergeant-at-Arms for how to deal with any protests that may emerge. In theory, lawmakers could be removed from the floor if they break House rules, but Ryan has not expressed any intention to have lawmakers dragged out.
Meanwhile, Ryan will also move to bring up a bill to improve mental health care proposed by Rep, Tim Murphy, R-Pa., which Republicans have frequently pointed to as a key component of addressing mass shootings. The House Energy & Commerce Committee approved the bill unanimously last month.
Backed by an array of mental health advocacy groups, the bill would create a new position for an Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance abuse within the Department of Health and Human Services. This official would be charged with coordinating mental health efforts across various federal agencies. The bill also requires consideration of when information about a person's serious mental illness diagnosis can be shared with family members, caregivers and law enforcement without the patient's consent.
