Press Releases

 
In a dramatic moment this morning, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joined civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis and her colleagues to occupy the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to demand that Republican leaders allow debate and a vote on common sense gun legislation. 
 
Pingree spoke on the House floor urging a debate and vote on bills to close the terrorist watch list loophole and to expand background checks.  After she and some of her colleagues finished speaking, Congressman Lewis walked onto the floor and refused to leave. Pingree and dozens of her colleagues joined him to stand together and demand a vote on gun legislation.
 
Republicans immediately adjourned the House, but the Democratic members remained standing on the floor, refusing to leave.  The group is demanding that Speaker Ryan keep the House in session through its planned recess to debate and vote on gun violence legislation. Specifically, the group is pushing for a vote on expanded background checks and legislation preventing gun sales to suspected terrorists.
 
In a letter to Speaker Ryan, the group outlined their objectives.
 
Prior to the action on the House floor, Pingree spoke out on the need to close the terrorist loophole.
 
Right now someone can be on both the Terrorist Watch List and the No Fly List—in other words the FBI thinks you are a terrorist and the TSA bans you from flying—but if you want to drive down to your local gun store and buy an assault rifle there is nothing anyone can do to stop you. This is wrong.  The American people know it is wrong, public health professionals know it is wrong and nearly every single law enforcement association in America knows it's wrong—which is why they are all in favor of closing the terrorist gun loophole.
 
Pingree said closing the loophole is something that most Americans support.
 
If you were to walk outside the House right now and stop someone on the street and ask the simple question, "Should terrorists be allowed to buy guns?"  You would get a simple answer.  They would say, "No, of course terrorists should not be allowed to buy guns."  But they can, and Republicans here in the House won't even let us have a debate and vote on it.