From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 13, 2016
Dem congressman: We hold moments of silence, don’t change gun laws
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleA Democratic congressman expresses frustration with inaction on gun control, saying he’s done with the moments of silence typically held on the House floor after mass shootings, calling them “obnoxious expressions of smug incompetence.”
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes vows to leave the House floor when the chamber pauses to honor 49 people killed at an Orlando nightclub yesterday morning. House Speaker Paul Ryan has scheduled the observance for this evening.
In a series of tweets, Himes says the silence doesn’t honor victims, but mocks them. He calls the observances an “abomination” and says he will not be silent.
Himes says the point is not to be disruptive, but “to make the obvious moral point that silence in the face of death is not acceptable.”
Nope. We'll have a moment of silence. Perfectly emblematic of Congressional gross negligence. https://t.co/kPWLOzbY7h
— Jim Himes ???????????????? (@jahimes) June 13, 2016
— AP
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