Washington

Previously on "Gun Votes Lost": Democrats including Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, conduct a sit-in and block normal House business, demanding votes on gun-related issues. Speaker Paul Ryan derisively calls it a "publicity stunt'' and adjourns until July 5.

But later on Ryan appeared to reverse himself, pledging a vote on a terrorism-prevention package this week that includes barring gun purchases by those on the government's watch list.

So, what happens now?

The short-term answer is not much, probably. But long term, the battle is just heating up.

Ryan is backing a measure introduced by freshman Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-Long Island, which is based on one put forward in the Senate last month by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Senators voted it down.

The Cornyn amendment, supported by the National Rifle Association, would put a 72-hour hold on gun sales while the FBI investigates and shows "probable cause'' in court that an individual on the list is connected to terrorism and should be denied the purchase.

Democrats countered that 72 hours was not enough time and the "probable cause'' standard embedded in the Constitution is way too high — the FBI would arrest such people if they had that kind of evidence, not simply deny them gun purchases. Bottom line, they argued, is potential terrorists could still buy guns.

"Cornyn is a joke,'' said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who led the nearly 15-hour filibuster last month that got the latest round of crossfire over gun legislation rolling.

Tonko called the Cornyn-Zeldin approach "a hollow attempt to distract American families who overwhelmingly want common-sense and responsible legislation that will actually reduce the number of tragedies we see week after week.''

The Ryan-backed measure, he said, "makes it even harder for the FBI to block sales to suspected terrorists and is unworkable from a law enforcement perspective. It simply is not an effective counterterrorism measure.''

NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker said of opposition to the Cornyn approach: "This is exactly why the American people are so frustrated with Washington. Preventing access and providing meaningful due process are not mutually exclusive. You can do both.''

Win or lose on Capitol Hill, advocates say they see unusual ferment on gun control, or gun-violence prevention, as its advocates now like to characterize it.

"Holding a House vote is a win, even though we know that nothing will pass,'' said Leah Gunn Barrett, executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. "Ryan was backed into a corner and is calling a vote against the wishes of the Republican majority. It's important to get the members on record as supporting gun safety legislation favored by a huge majority of Americans, or opposing it.''

The watch list is aimed at preventing those whose names appear on it from boarding planes. But under current law, it does not prevent them from buying guns. Democrats have called it the "terror loophole'' and adopted the motto "no fly, no buy.''

Democrats' new wind-at-our-backs confidence stems from polls showing majorities of Americans supporting a bar on sale of guns to potential terrorists, as well as the other major prong of the push forward on guns: expanded background checks.