Condemning the expulsion of two Black, duly elected Tennessee Representatives as a blatant act of racism and an attack on the democracy of the United States and observing that the Tennessee House of Representatives preferred to take this action of expulsion rather than to act on gun control measures to protect children.

Subjects: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues, Firearms and explosives, Racial and ethnic relations, State and local government operations, Tennessee, Violent crime

Summary:  <p>This resolution condemns the expulsion of state representatives Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson from the Tennessee General Assembly as an attack on American democracy and an overt act of racism. It also expresses the belief that state and federal lawmakers should address gun violence.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 292 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 292

     Condemning the expulsion of two Black, duly elected Tennessee 
    Representatives as a blatant act of racism and an attack on the 
 democracy of the United States and observing that the Tennessee House 
 of Representatives preferred to take this action of expulsion rather 
        than to act on gun control measures to protect children.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 13, 2023

Ms. Kamlager-Dove (for herself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. 
 Ivey, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Norton, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Bowman, 
 Mr. Evans, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mrs. Watson Coleman, 
 and Mr. Green of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Condemning the expulsion of two Black, duly elected Tennessee 
    Representatives as a blatant act of racism and an attack on the 
 democracy of the United States and observing that the Tennessee House 
 of Representatives preferred to take this action of expulsion rather 
        than to act on gun control measures to protect children.

Whereas, on November 8, 2022, the people of House District 52 elected Justin 
        Jones in the general election for the Tennessee House of 
        Representatives;
Whereas, on November 8, 2022, the people of House District 90 elected Gloria 
        Johnson in the general election for the Tennessee House of 
        Representatives;
Whereas, on March 14, 2023, the people of House District 86 elected Justin J. 
        Pearson in the special election for the Tennessee House of 
        Representatives;
Whereas, on March 27, 2023, a school shooting with legally bought weapons took 
        place at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee;
Whereas, on March 30, 2023, Representatives Pearson, Jones, and Johnson led a 
        gun control protest on the House floor following the mass shooting, 
        advocating for the passage of gun reform legislation;
Whereas Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly claimed that these elected 
        officials brought ``disorder and dishonor'' to the Tennessee House of 
        Representatives for fighting for common-sense gun reform legislation 
        following the tragic murder of three children and three adults at The 
        Covenant School;
Whereas, on April 6, 2023, the Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two 
        Black lawmakers, Justin Jones in a 72 to 25 vote and Justin J. Pearson 
        in a 69 to 26 vote, for exercising their constitutional right to 
        protest;
Whereas expulsion has only been used in rare circumstances including in 1866 for 
        attempting to prevent passage of the 14th Amendment, in 1980 for 
        bribery, and in 2016 for sexual misconduct;
Whereas the White lawmaker, Representative Gloria Johnson, who joined the 
        protest alongside Representative Jones and Representative Pearson, was 
        not expelled;
Whereas Representative Jones and Representative Pearson represented the State's 
        largest cities, with large Black populations;
Whereas, as a result, over 136,000 Tennesseans in Memphis and Nashville have had 
        their democratic right to representation stripped from them;
Whereas this act of expelling Representative Jones and Representative Pearson 
        silences Black American voices, further perpetuating the historical 
        disenfranchisement of Black Americans;
Whereas until the United States reckons with its blatant and perpetual racism, 
        the country will continue to be divided, and democracy will continue to 
        be threatened;
Whereas elected officials in the United States must understand it is their duty 
        to break the American cycle of systemic racism seeped within the 
        country;
Whereas it is the responsibility of all elected officials to make decisions for 
        the benefit of all Americans;
Whereas, as of March 2023, roughly 130 counted mass shootings have occurred in 
        the United States in 2023;
Whereas, in June 2021, Tennessee Republicans enacted a law to allow permitless 
        carry of handguns, both concealed and unconcealed, for people 21 years 
        or older;
Whereas, in February 2023, Tennessee Republicans introduced a bill to expand 
        permitless carry to include all firearms despite concerns from the 
        Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security;
Whereas section 1 of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution states: ``The right 
        of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged 
        by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or 
        previous condition of servitude.'';
Whereas the continuation of democracy in the United States is an active process 
        that requires the vigilance and action of those who are appointed and 
        elected to preserve it; and
Whereas the continuation of democracy in the United States requires 
        accountability for those who seek to damage it: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the expulsion of elected members of the 
        Tennessee General Assembly, Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson;
            (2) recognizes these expulsions are attacks on the 
        fundamental ideals and livelihoods of American democracy;
            (3) acknowledges that the expulsion of two Black lawmakers 
        in a show of overt racism was the preferred action of the 
        Republican-led Tennessee House of Representatives so as to 
        avoid further discussion of gun control measures that could 
        prevent the death of more innocent schoolchildren and teachers; 
        and
            (4) believes we have a gun violence crisis and that State 
        and Federal lawmakers should take action to prevent future gun 
        violence.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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