WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday he thanked three Tennessee lawmakers for “standing up” after they faced expulsion for participating in gun control protests at their state home.
“You’re standing up for our children, you’re standing up for our communities,” Biden told Rep. Justin Pearson, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Gloria Johnson during an Oval Office meeting.
flanked by vice president kamala harrisBiden described the ouster votes as “shocking” and “undemocratic.”
“Nothing is guaranteed about our democracy, every generation has to fight for it,” he said.
The episode has turned lawmakers, known as the “Tennessee Three,” into Democratic heroes. harris already visited Nashville earlier this month to show your support.
The state protest took place days after the shooting at the Covenant School, a private Christian school where three children and three adults were murdered. The three legislators, Rep. Justin Pearson, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Gloria Johnson, approached the front of the House chamber with a megaphone as protesters filled the galleries.
He republicans who control the Tennessee legislature called for their removal because they disrupted House proceedings. Pearson and Jones, both black, They were expelledwhile Johnson was not.
Pearson and Jones were later provisionally reinstated by local officials, and they plan to stand in a special election to finish their terms.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last week that Biden was “proud” and “grateful” to see the three state representatives call for stricter gun restrictions, particularly a ban on so-called handguns. assault.
During a phone call earlier this month, Biden thanked them “for speaking up and standing their ground, and being very clear about what it takes to protect their communities,” Jean-Pierre said.
Discover more from PressNewsAgency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.