When the House of Representatives paused for a moment of silence to honor the victims of yet another American mass shooting last night, one Democratic Congresswoman was there to make sure this moment did not just pass as another routine marking.
“I rise to honor and remember the lives of those who were taken too soon at Umpqua Community College on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. I ask that all Americans pray for the friends and families of these nine victims as they grieve and rebuild from this tragedy,” Oregon Democrat Rep. Peter DeFazio read from the floor before the House observed a moment of silence.
“Now let’s do something!” Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky shouted once the moment of silence concluded.
“Let’s have a vote,” another unknown Congressman yelled as the chamber broke out in scattered applause and calls for a vote on gun control legislation.
As The Hill notes, the House has observed moments of silence for the recent mass shooting at a movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana and a church in Charleston, South Carolina without any follow-up legislation.
Schakowsky and some of her fellow Democrats tweeted their discontent simply gathering in Congress to mourn the dead rather than voting in Congress to prevent their deaths:
After a moment of silence on the House Floor to remember the victims of the UCC massacre, I shouted out "Now, let's do something!" It's time
— Jan Schakowsky (@janschakowsky) October 7, 2015
Moment of silence for #UCCShooting victims on @HouseFloor — sadly, we will do it again until action is taken.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) October 6, 2015
About to have another moment of silence for those killed by #GunViolence, this time in Roseburg. To honor their memory, we need to act!
— Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) October 6, 2015
Watch Schakowsky’s call to action in Congress, via CSPAN:
