McCarthy Confirms Dems Will Be Disciplined For Gun Control Sit-In |

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McCarthy Confirms Dems Will Be Disciplined For Gun Control Sit-In

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Juliegrace Brufke

July 13, 2016 4:12 PM ET

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California confirmed Wednesday there will definitely be disciplinary action taken against Democrats who partook in the 26 hour gun-control protest on the House floor in late June.

Democrats staged the unprecedented sit-in in response to Republicans opting against bringing a measure, which failed in committee, requiring stronger background checks on those purchasing fire arms.

“We continue to make sure we’ve gathered all the information,” McCarthy told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “We know the number of rules that were broken, we know that there are a number of members that broke those and had even gone beyond – the treatment of others on the floor, the intimidation that some have used – so we are working on the appropriate response to all of that, and that will be coming soon.”

McCarthy and House Speaker Paul Ryan met with the sergeant-at-arms last week in a meeting that confirmed acts of misconduct took place.

“I want to make sure the discipline matches the rules that were broken,” McCarthy said. “The punishment should match the crime.”

A GOP aide close to the situation told TheDCNF there are a number of levels of repercussions they are considering and discussions remain ongoing.

“We are not in a position yet to announce when or what the ramifications will be,” the source said, adding the announcement likely won’t come before The House recesses Friday. “The speaker’s point is this is a historic body that has a level of integrity that needs to be kept in terms of being able to process the American people’s priorities and work.”

Democratic Rep. John Larson of Connecticut, one of the leaders of the protest, acknowledged they broke a number of rules, but felt it was necessary to draw attention to their cause.

“We said look we fully appreciate that we are in full violation of the rules, but we hope they [GOP leadership] appreciate the incredible frustration on behalf of the American people and our constituents that we have sworn to serve, that in three-and-a-half years, since Sandy Hook, we haven’t had a vote,” he told TheDCNF. “And if their answer is, ‘well, the best we can do is punish you,’ well so be it.”

The timeline on when disciplinary action will be handed down is still being determined.

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