US Vice President Kamala Harris made a visit to Tennessee on Friday to meet with two Black lawmakers, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who were expelled from the state legislature on Thursday. The expulsion came as a response to their protest for stronger gun control measures following a school shooting in Nashville.
While the motion to oust their white colleague, Gloria Johnson, who also protested, failed by a narrow margin of one vote, the two Black lawmakers were removed from their positions. Harris praised the three legislators for their courage and willingness to stand up against injustice.
At Fisk University, a historically Black institution, Harris spoke about the importance of implementing background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault rifles. She urged Republicans to “have the courage to act instead of the cowardice to not allow debate and to not allow a discussion on the merits of what is at stake.”
Apart from meeting with the expelled lawmakers, Harris also met with other state legislators, young people, and advocates who had demanded meaningful action to address gun violence following recent tragedies.
The White House released a statement detailing the objectives of Harris’ visit to Tennessee, highlighting her commitment to combating gun violence and supporting those who have been affected by it.
Harris’ visit comes at a time when the issue of gun control has taken centre stage in the national discourse, with several recent mass shootings reigniting the debate on what measures need to be implemented to prevent further tragedies. The visit is seen as a signal of the administration’s dedication to pursuing meaningful gun control measures and ensuring that the voices of those most affected by gun violence are heard.
On Friday, President of the United States, Joe Biden, conversed with Jones, Pearson, and Johnson. During their conversation, he expressed gratitude towards them for their efforts in advocating for the prohibition of assault weapons and defending democratic principles. Additionally, he extended an invitation for them to visit the White House in the upcoming days.
A day before this conversation, through a tweet, Biden expressed his shock and disapproval towards the expulsion of Jones and Pearson. He deemed the action as undemocratic and unprecedented.
The removal of Jones and Pearson from the Tennessee House of Representatives sparked outrage both within the state and across the country. The motion to expel required a two-thirds majority, which was made possible due to the Republican’s dominant position in the chamber. The proponents of the motion argued that Jones, Pearson, and Johnson, also known as “the Tennessee three,” had violated decorum rules by participating in floor protests.
Expelling lawmakers in this manner is extremely rare and has only been done twice since the US Civil War. Jesse Chism, the vice chair of the Tennessee Black Caucus, criticized the decision, stating that the expulsion of two Black lawmakers for protesting “resembled a Jim Crow-era trial.”
Tennessee Representative Yusuf Hakeem, a Democrat, spoke to MSNBC and shared that Harris’ visit “demonstrates that the White House is genuinely interested and concerned in a meaningful way.”
