Tennessee Republican lawmakers moved to expel two Democratic legislators Thursday following a demonstration in response to the tragic school shooting in Nashville.
Democratic Representatives Justin Jones, Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson led a chant from the House floor to advocate for gun reform on March 30, as demonstrators gathered at the State Capitol, according to reports.
Jones, 27, was one of the youngest members of parliament. He was the first to be expelled. Pearson was 28 years old, and was also expelled, by a majority vote of 69-26. CBS News.
Johnson was not elected to be dismissed.
The accusations of racism were raised by the votes. Associated Press According to the news outlet, Pearson and Jones are both Black and Johnson is White. The news outlet reported that the Republican leadership denies race being a factor in the election.
CBS News reports that Jones stated on the House Floor before the vote: “A state in the Ku Klux Klan’s foundation is now seeking another power grab, silencing both the two youngest Black members.”
Reps were charged by the GOP supermajority with violating House rules of behavior and decorum.
According to the Washington Post, Kamala Harris, vice president of Kamala Harris, will travel to Nashville to meet expelled lawmakers. USA Today.
“What happened yesterday was a very sad day for democracy,” Jones Submitted CNN’s Don Lemon on CNN This Morning. “The nation was able to see we don’t have democracy in Tennessee.”
Reports indicate that it’s rare to expel a United States lawmaker from a United States chamber. This is usually reserved for lawmakers who are accused of sexual misconduct or serious infractions.
“Today’s expulsion of lawmakers who engaged in peaceful protest is shocking, undemocratic and without precedent,” President Joe Biden said in a Statement On Thursday. “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.”