Schiff Takes Part in Sit-in (Crescenta Valley Weekly)
Congressman Adam Schiff took part in a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday in an effort to force a vote on gun control. Schiff was one of about 100 Democrats in the U.S. Congress who took part in the sit-in.
“This is the House equivalent of a filibuster!” said Schiff. “Because enough is enough. The American people demand action, and we must demand it of ourselves!”
The action was prompted by the killing of 49 individuals and the injury of 50 more at a mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub on June 12. During Wednesday’s demonstration, Schiff touched on the sentiments of some Americans that the killings aren’t reflective of gun violence but instead relates to terrorism.
“Now, I know that a lot of our fellow citizens will say – ‘well, this isn’t gun violence, this is different, this is terrorism’ – as if because this is terrorism, as if because this was motivated in part by an allegiance to ISIS, that somehow guns had nothing to do with this terrible loss of life.”
One piece of proposed legislation titled “No Fly, No Buy” was hoped by some to be a move toward tightening gun laws in the nation. The measure would block firearms purchases by those who the Attorney General had a “reasonable suspicion” were engaged in terrorism. That amendment was rejected, however.
“And I’m convinced that if we can take up this legislation, if we can enact things like ‘No Fly, No Buy,’ and universal background checks, we can show the American people that the NRA can be defeated,” said Schiff. “Indeed, if we can show our colleagues that that you can defeat the NRA and still be elected, we can bring about a tipping point in this country where talking about guns is no longer off limits.”