Rep. Louie Gohmert got into a shouting match with Democrats on the floor of the House. | Getty GOP blasts Democrats as House sit-in ends

With Democrats ending their occupation of the House floor Thursday afternoon to demand votes on gun control measures, lawmakers from both parties earlier in the day took to cable news, selling alternate versions of the sit-in as either a bold step or a political stunt.

House Democrats began their House floor sit-in around 11:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, led by Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who joined sit-ins across the South during the civil rights movement. The sit-in ended at about 12:45 p.m. Senate liberals, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined their House colleagues in their protest, which came to a head during late night votes after which House Speaker Paul Ryan gaveled the chamber into its 4th of July recess two days early.


Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) was perhaps the loudest Republican to oppose the sit-in, shouting at the assembled Democrats that “radical Islam killed these people” as he pointed at posters bearing photographs of the victims of the mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub earlier this month.

“They weren’t just standing up for rights. They were taking away rights,” a much calmer Gohmert said of the protesting Democrats Thursday morning on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends.” “It was incredible to see real American folk heroes like John Lewis, who were brutalized and stood up for civil rights. Folks were there using the instruments that helped gain civil rights to try to take away people’s civil rights.”

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) agreed, suggesting on CNN’s “New Day” that GOP members stage a counter sit-in at the White House to insist that President Barack Obama address “radical Islamic terror.”

Striking a more conciliatory tone in his own Thursday morning CNN appearance, Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.) talked up compromise legislation he introduced earlier this week the he said satisfies Democrats' "no fly, no buy" requirement while also addressing the due process concerns of the GOP. The Florida congressman said he respected the convictions and understood the frustrations of colleagues on both sides of the aisle, adding that he didn't agree with the Democrats decision to occupy the House floor, he also disagreed with Ryan's decision to close Congress for its July 4 recess early without addressing the issue.

Finding middle ground on the gun control measures, Jolly said, "is not as hard as it seems." He blamed election-year politicians making hay from controversial legislation as the reason his bill or any other would have trouble gaining traction.

“Opinions get kind of hardened when you get into passionate debates, and I’m afraid that’s what’s happening now. And so I’m trying to give a voice of reason. Let’s overcome it," Jolly said. “There is a reason we have an 85 percent disapproval rating: because we can’t solve the easy stuff. This isn’t that hard. It really isn’t.”

Democrats expressed hope that the sit-in would be successful on two fronts, both in ginning up public support for gun control measures and in pressuring Republicans. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) said public sentiment is overwhelmingly on the Democrats' side and that the sit-in is intended to demonstrate solidarity with Americans eager for gun control.

“Our end game is to really show the American people that there are people here, representatives that are going to fight for them,” Takano said on CNN’s “New Day.” “It’s about keeping the pressure up on the Republican majority to do the right thing and do the sensible thing. This can work.”

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), much-rumored as a possible vice presidential pick for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, also joined his house colleagues in their occupation. On “New Day,” Kaine said the sit-in promoted unity among Democrats.

“Being on the floor together made us feel stronger,” he said. “Made us feel like we were doing what our constituents want us to do and made us feel like we were inching closer to the day when we break the grip of gun manufacturers on Congress and actually embrace reasonable safety reforms.”