Biden Meets Tennessee State Lawmakers to Talk about Gun Management

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden met three Tennessee lawmakers on the White Home on Monday after they confronted expulsion for collaborating in gun management protests at their statehouse, calling the choice to take away two of them “surprising” and “undemocratic.”

“You are standing up for our youngsters, you are standing up for our communities,” Biden instructed state Representatives Justin Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson throughout an Oval Workplace assembly.

Jones and Pearson – two younger Black legislators – had been expelled earlier this month however had been later returned to workplace by their localities. Johnson, who’s white, narrowly survived an expulsion vote.

The Republicans who management the Tennessee legislature referred to as for his or her expulsion as a result of they disrupted Home proceedings.

The three lawmakers, also referred to as the “Tennessee three,” joined kids, dad and mom and others protesting on the state Capitol days after a Nashville college taking pictures killed three 9-year-old kids and three college workers members.

White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated final week that Biden appreciated the three state representatives calling for stronger gun restrictions, notably a ban on so-called assault weapons – a problem the president has continued to push for.

Vice President Kamala Harris additionally attended the assembly with Biden. Harris traveled to Nashville to satisfy the three lawmakers earlier this month and echoed their requires change.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; enhancing by Jonathan Oatis)

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