Democrats are literally sitting on the House floor demanding a vote on gun control

Democrats staged a sit-in on the House floor until they are granted a vote on a gun control bill.

(Image credit: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

last updated 22 June 2016

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers quite literally sat down on the House floor Wednesday and refused to move until Republicans allowed the House to vote on gun control.

After four gun control measures were blocked by the Senate earlier this week, Democrats are now pushing for the House to vote on a bipartisan bill introduced Tuesday by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that would prevent individuals on the terrorism watch list from getting ahold of guns. The intensified focus on gun control follows the country's deadliest shooting at an Orlando LGBT nightclub on June 12, which killed 49.

In total, about 30 Democratic lawmakers took a seat on the floor. The sit-in happened when the House was not in session, and Republican leaders demanded that C-SPAN turn off its cameras while it was happening.