Biden responds to expulsion of Democratic Tennessee lawmakers: ‘Undemocratic’
Conrad Hoyt
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President Joe Biden responded to the news Thursday that two of three Tennessee Democrats who protested in favor of gun reform on the House floor were expelled from their positions.
State Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson joined hundreds of demonstrators at the state Capitol on March 30 in calling for gun reform after the recent Nashville school shooting. The resolution to expel Jones passed with a 72-25 vote, and the resolution to expel Pearson passed with a 69-26 vote. A resolution to expel Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson was also discussed, but it failed to pass.
TENNESSEE REPUBLICANS EXPEL TWO OF THREE DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS WHO PROTESTED ON HOUSE FLOOR
Biden had harsh words for the Republican lawmakers who he felt, in their resolutions to expel their colleagues, engaged in behavior that 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,” Biden said in his statement.
“A strong majority of Americans want lawmakers to act on commonsense gun safety reforms that we know will save lives. But instead, we’ve continued to see Republican officials across America double down on dangerous bills that make our schools, places of worship, and communities less safe. Our kids continue to pay the price,” the president added.
Biden reiterated his calls for Congress to “ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, require safe storage of firearms, eliminate gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and require background checks for all gun sales,” urging state officials to do the same.
Johnson, the representative who survived the expulsion vote, told the Knoxville News Sentinel this week before the vote that she was ready to explore every option in response to expulsion, including a lawsuit.
“They are doing this because we stood up for dying children, because we are trying to protect the community,” Johnson said. “The very first action this body takes after a shooting that killed three children and three school personnel, the very first action they’re gonna take is to expel the very people who were speaking out against it.”
After the votes Thursday, it was not lost on Johnson, who is white, that she remains a representative while Jones and Pearson, who are black, were ousted. In response to a reporter asking her about the difference in their outcomes, Johnson said, “I’ll answer your question; it might have to do with the color of our skin.”
Johnson also spoke up about how she has been marginalized and mistreated during her time in the state House for being the lone vote against the Republican speaker, Rep. Cameron Sexton (R).
House Republicans, including Rep. Gino Bulso, have argued that the three Democrats joining in on last week’s protest engaged in a “mutiny” and that they had “no remorse” for their actions.
Jones said the actions of him and his fellow lawmakers “broke the glass” and disrupted the peace to advocate the lives of their constituents. He called out a Republican lawmaker for saying the three lawmakers disturbed the “sacred chamber” of the House.
“This is not a temple. This is a place where we are supposed to wrestle for our democracy,” Jones said.
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The historic expulsions during an emotional session Thursday underscored a rising divide in Tennessee, and across the nation, between Democrats and Republicans. No longer do norms, courtesies, and precedents appear to hold as much weight among lawmakers as both sides of the aisle grapple to obtain the power to do what they believe is right for the future of their state and/or country.