More than 24 hours after their occupation of the House floor, Democrats are ending their historic sit-in, leaving the Capitol without winning any of the concessions they demanded from Republican leaders when they first seized control of the chamber.
But Democrats say they have seized the political — and moral — high ground on the issue of gun violence, and they promise more dramatic actions when the House returns in early July.
Story Continued Below
The waning hours of the demonstration — a string of short, orderly speeches from Democrats, with Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) tapping his podium to urge long-winded members along — proved to be a quiet denouement for the raucous protest that consumed the floor Wednesday.
Gone were the throngs of Democrats, holding up the names of gun violence victims, booing the House speaker and signing Civil Rights hymns. In their place, dozens of weary Democrats remained, some in the same outfits they were wearing the day before, congratulating each other and promising to keep up the fight.
The sit-in took on a life of its own, dominating social media and cable networks late into the night Wednesday, bringing Twitter fame for some Democratic back-benchers and stoking an impromptu gathering of supporters outside the Capitol, several of whom stayed overnight.
But Democrats, frustrated by inaction following the Orlando nightclub shooting that killed 49 people two weeks ago, leave for recess no closer to voting on gun control bills in the House. And Republicans, angered by the daylong disruption, may be even more galvanized to stonewall the issue.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has promised not to acquiesce to Democratic demands for votes on two bills — one barring people on the “no fly” list from buying guns and another expanding background checks — not now or when lawmakers file back into the Capitol July 5.