Oregon senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined their Democratic colleagues in the House in a sit-in Wednesday as they attempted to force Republican lawmakers to call for a vote on gun control legislation.

Nearly 100 defiant Democrats in the House, led by Georgia Rep. John Lewis, refused to leave the floor Wednesday morning after they demanded a vote on legislation that would expand background checks and prohibit some suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms, the Associated Press reported.

Merkley and Wyden tweeted that they were headed to the chamber to support their House colleagues -- including Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, from Oregon's first district, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, from Oregon's third and Rep. Peter DeFazio, from Oregon's fourth -- early Wednesday afternoon.

Thank you Oregon @SenJeffMerkley for joining us on the House floor to demand action on gun violence. #nobillnobreak #sitin — Suzanne Bonamici (@RepBonamici) June 22, 2016

Really?!?! We can't even vote on a bill prohibiting people on the terrorist watchlist from legally buying guns? pic.twitter.com/SYRMmN7xD0 — Rep Peter DeFazio (@RepPeterDeFazio) June 22, 2016

Proud to stand w/colleagues in House protesting loopholes that allow guns into the hands of terrorists pic.twitter.com/DqJmiVAk2d — Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) June 22, 2016

House Gallery packed with spectators, like the state of the union. And over 2 dozen members of the press. pic.twitter.com/kyien9TEIy — Earl Blumenauer (@repblumenauer) June 22, 2016

The Oregon senators were joined by Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren and Connecticut's Chris Murphy who staged a 15-hour filibuster in the senate last week to force a vote on similar bills, which were defeated Monday night, the AP reported.

The call for the vote comes in the wake of the massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, last week when a gunman fatally shot 49 people and wounded scores of others. The shooting at the gay venue was the worst in modern U.S. history.

"You know, if we don't continue this action, what's going to occur? We're going to be voting on meaningless legislation that's bad policy and is never going to be enacted into law. I say, let's invest a little more time here," Blumenauer said in remarks from the floor of the House.

"If we can start a journey towards a safer country today, even if it means we don't start a journey back to our districts Friday afternoon or Saturday or Sunday, it's time to seize the power that we have to help the majority do what I think a number of them want to do in their hearts," Blumenauer continued.

The sit-in continued into the early evening hours and Republicans showed no signs of trying to intervene, though the Republican Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, told CNN the sit-in was nothing more than a "publicity stunt."

Retweet if you agree → The sit-in by House Democrats is nothing more than a publicity stunt. #StopTheStunthttps://t.co/YGgl2yLHyB — Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) June 22, 2016

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048