Speaker Paul Ryan criticized House Democrats’ sit-in over Republicans’ refusal to vote on gun-control measures as publicity and a fundraising stunt, as the sit-in passed the 24-hour mark Thursday morning.
In a press conference, Ryan held up printouts of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraising solicitations related to the sit-in as he reprimanded Democrats for disrupting the chamber.
“If this is not a political stunt, then why are they trying to raise money of this, off of a tragedy?” Ryan said, referring to the mass shooting in Orlando that renewed the Democrats’ push for gun-control measures.
Ryan also said the sit-in had the potential to undermine the legislative body’s ability to function by setting a precedent for flouting the chamber’s rules. Ryan suggested the GOP’s leadership was considering repercussions for House Democrats who broke the chamber’s rules, such as by using their cellphones to live-stream the sit-in.
“We’re reviewing everything as to what happened, and how we can bring order to this chaos,” Ryan said, in response to a journalist’s question about potential consequences for the rule-breaking.
—Alexa Corse
