California Democrats Hold National Day of Action On Gun Violence Prevention
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- In California, and around the country, politicians are planning to take part in Wednesday's National Day of Action on Gun Violence Prevention.
The new day of action comes less than three weeks after a mass shooting in Orlando, Florida that left 49 people dead and even more wounded.
The Orlando shooting prompted a 15-hour filibuster by Democrats on the Senate floor and then a 26-hour sit-in by Democrats on the House floor, both advocating for gun reform legislation.
Neither the filibuster nor the "No Bill, No Break" sit-in resulted in new gun control legislation. Despite the sit-in, the House has gone on recess until after the Fourth of July.
"Your adjournment will not silence our voices," Congresswoman Barbara Lee said in a statement Tuesday.
Lee has introduced the Tiahrt Restrictions Repeal Act which would remove restrictions on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that have barred the center from studying gun violence as they do other threats to public health.
In San Francisco, Wednesday's National Day of Action on Gun Violence Prevention will be held at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center at 1 p.m.
Lee will join House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Congressman Mike Thompson at the hospital. Congressman Mike Honda and Congressman Eric Swalwell, as well as Vallejo's Chief of Police Andrew Bidou, are also expected to attend.
Pelosi said in a statement Tuesday:
"John Lewis's historic sit-in on the Floor has resonated across the nation, and given fresh energy to Americans who will no longer tolerate the daily tragedy of gun violence in America and are calling for congressional action. Tomorrow, as part of a new National Day of Action, Americans will come together to share their stories with their Members of Congress and make their voices heard as we work to disarm hate... listen to the stories of the families who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Listen to the heartbreak that ripples through a community with each gun death. We owe them more than thoughts and prayers and moments of silence. We owe them a vote in the House on commonsense, life-saving legislation that will prevent more families from experiencing their suffering."
During the House sit-in, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) was interviewed by her colleague, Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) about her personal experience with gun violence. Speier was injured during the Jonestown massacre in Guyana in 1978 when she was 28 years old. The full interview is available here:
Speier said, "I was shot ... I waited to die." She said was shot five times and it took 22 hours for her to receive medical attention.
"For those of us who have suffered the affects of gun violence, being shot is just the beginning of a very long, painful, emotionally scarring, as well as physically scarring experience ... For our colleagues on the other side of the isle to be so dismissive because they are under the spell of the NRA and the gun lobby, is criminal," Speier said.
By Hannah Albarazi - Follow her on Twitter: @hannahalbarazi.
