VP Harris will travel to Nashville to meet with Democratic legislators, a day after Tennessee GOP lawmakers voted to oust two Black Democratic members who protested against gun violence.
Harris tweeted earlier Friday morning about the Republicans' move to oust Jones and Pearson from Tennessee's state House.
State legislators voted Thursday to expel Jones and Pearson while another vote to remove Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white, failed. The resolutions accused each of the Democratic legislators of engaging in “disorderly behavior” and purposely bringing “disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives” during protests againstat The Covenant School in Nashville, the trio led supporters in calling for stricter gun safety measures. They used a bullhorn, which violated House chamber rules.
President Joe Biden said in a statement Thursday night that the expulsion of the two lawmakers who engaged in a peaceful protest was"shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent." "Rather than debating the merits of the issue, these Republican lawmakers have chosen to punish, silence, and expel duly-elected representatives of the people of Tennessee," said Biden, who also reiterated his call on Congress to pass a new assault weapons ban.Rebecca Shabad is a politics reporter for NBC News based in Washington.
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