Rep. Katherine Clark Joins House Gun Vote Sit-In

By Alex Newman (Patch Staff)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Katherine Clark was one of seven Massachusetts Democrats who engaged in a sit-in Wednesday on Capitol Hill, refusing to leave the floor until Republicans vote on gun control measures.

Clark represents the 5th District of Massachusetts, which encompasses Lexington.

Clark joined Congressional Representatives Michael Capuano, Jim McGovern, Bill Keating, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Seth Moulton, Richard Neal and Niki Tsongas in the protest.

On Twitter, Clark outlined the motivation behind the sit-in.

"Millions are counting on us to find the moral courage to do the right thing," she wrote as the sit-in began. "We're starting a sit-in to urge Speaker Ryan to allow debate on solutions to keep Americans safe."

Last week, Clark left the floor alongside a handful of Democrats during the House of Representatives' moment of silence for those killed in Orlando as a call for further action in the wake of mass shootings.

And days later, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy led a nearly 15-hour filibuster in an effort to get a vote on two primary legislative measures: universal background checks, or closing the “gun-show loophole,” and the prevention of suspected terrorists from buying firearms.

Ultimately the filibuster forced a vote, but it failed along party lines.

Alison Bauter (Patch Staff) contributed to this report.

>>>Photo via Congresswoman Katherine Clark's official website