SHOUTING MATCHES ERUPT IN CONGRESS AS RYAN TRIES TO BREAK DEMOCRATS' PROTEST

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SHOUTING MATCHES ERUPT IN CONGRESS AS RYAN TRIES TO BREAK DEMOCRATS' PROTEST House Democrats staged a sit-down protest Wednesday, seeking a vote on gun control measures following the Orlando nightclub shooting. (C-SPAN) Rebellious Democrats staged an extraordinary all-day sit-in on the House floor Wednesday to demand votes on gun-control bills, shouting down Speaker Paul Ryan when he attempted to restore order as their protest stretched into the night. The stunning and unruly scene was broadcast live to the world from Democrats' cell phones, feeds picked up by C-SPAN after Republicans shut down the network's cameras. Democrats had pillows and sleeping bags on hand, as well as donuts, pizza and coffee as they prepared to spend the entire night in protest. The sit-in was well into its 10th hour when Ryan stepped to the podium to gavel the House into session and hold votes on routine business. Angry Democrats chanted "No bill, no break!" and waved pieces of paper with the names of gun victims, continuing their protest in the well of the House even as lawmakers voted on a previously scheduled and unrelated measure to overturn a veto by President Barack Obama. At one point, Democrats and Republicans nearly came to blows on the House floor during the extraordinary protest. Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas approached the Democrats and yelled, "Radical Islam!" Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown of Florida started yelling back at him. The two came within inches of each other, both yelling. Lawmakers from both parties separated the two. Ryan attempted to ignore the various outbursts and announce the business of the day, pounding down his gavel over shouting. "Shame! Shame! Shame!" Democrats yelled, but Ryan left the lectern and the voting continued. Then Democrats began singing "We Shall Overcome," still holding up the names of gun victims. The scene presented a radical, almost shocking departure from the normal orderly conduct of the House. It was uncertain what would happen as the night stretched on. Republicans planned to attempt to adjourn the House, and hoped to present themselves as soberly attending to business and Democrats as disruptive. Democrats said they would stay until Republicans yielded to their demands to hold votes on bills to strengthen background checks and prevent people on the no fly list from getting guns in the wake of last week's massacre in Orlando, Florida. View image on Twitter "Are they more afraid than the children at Sandy Hook?" asked Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., referring to the 2012 shooting that killed 26 people, including 20 elementary school children, in Newtown, Connecticut. "What is so scary about having a vote?" Rep. John Lewis, a veteran civil rights leader, asked what Congress has done, then answered his own question: "Nothing. We have turned a deaf ear to the blood of innocents. We are blind to a crisis. Where is our courage?" Ryan dismissed the protest as "nothing more than a publicity stunt," and in an interview with CNN, made clear there would be no vote. "We're not going to take away a citizen's constitutional rights without due process," he said. The protest began around 11:30 a.m., interrupted briefly when Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, tried to start the House's work at noon. The customary prayer and Pledge of Allegiance went ahead, but Poe was forced to recess the House when dozens of Democrats refused to leave the well. Republicans occupied the floor, delivering speeches after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent the House on its August recess. Pelosi ordered the cameras turned off. Republicans ultimately forced the drilling provision to be attached to a stopgap spending bill. C-SPAN, a cable and satellite network that provides continual coverage of House and Senate floor proceedings, does not control the cameras. They're run on authorization by legislative leaders. Although the cameras were turned off Wednesday, lawmakers relied on social media to transmit video, using Facebook, Twitter and Periscope. C-SPAN broadcast live video streamed on Periscope and Facebook from lawmakers' accounts. #‎NoBillNoBreak‬: A chaotic scene unfolded in Congress Wednesday night, when protesting Democrats tried to shout down House Speaker Paul Ryan as he called for a vote on labor legislation. http://abc7.la/28QaPDh Democrats had staged a sit-in all day, shutting down House business until Republicans allowed a vote to be held on gun-control legislation. As Ryan tried to ignore the protest, Democrats shouted"No bill, no break!"