VP Harris meets with the “Tennessee Three”

Vice President Kamala Harris went to Nashville Friday to meet with the Tennessee Three and discuss gun reform with state lawmakers.

Kamala Harris Honors the Tennessee Three

In a tweet, Harris honored the lawmakers stating their voices “won’t be silenced. Furthermore, that their demands for gun reform must be heard.”

Tennessee House lawmakers voted Thursday to expel Reps. Justin Pearson of Memphis and Justin Jones of Nashville. The third lawmaker, Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, was not expelled.

Immediately following the final vote, the visitors’ gallery exploded in screams and boos and protests broke out in the hallway.

The expulsions came a week after the trio protested with gun control supporters in the gallery days after six people died in a shooting at Covenant School in Nashville.

President Joe Biden Comments

Aside from VP Harris, President Joe Biden was also critical of the expulsions, calling them “shocking, undemocratic and without precedent.”

“Rather than debating the merits of the issue [of gun control], these Republican lawmakers have chosen to punish, silence, and expel duly-elected representatives of the people of Tennessee,” Biden said in a statement.

Was Race a Factor?

Expulsions are rare. In the last 157 years, the House has expelled only two lawmakers. Jones and Pearson are now the third and fourth.

Johnson believes race was likely a factor on why Jones and Pearson were expelled but not her, telling reporters it “might have to do with the color of our skin.”

However, Republicans contested those sentiments, saying ethnicity did not play a factor.

Jones and Pearson pledged to be back at the Capitol next week advocating for change.

“Rather than pass laws that will address red flags and banning assault weapons and universal background checks, they passed resolutions to expel their colleagues,” Jones said. “And they think that the issue is over. We’ll see you on Monday.”

Pearson told reporters Thursday that in carrying out the protest, the three had broken “a House rule because we’re fighting for kids who are dying from gun violence and people in our communities who want to see an end to the proliferation of weaponry in our communities.”

What happens after the explusion?

This may not be the end for Jones and Pearson. County commissions in their districts pick replacements to serve until a special election can be held and they could opt to choose Jones and Pearson. The two also would be eligible to run in those races.

Under the Tennessee Constitution, lawmakers cannot be expelled for the same offense twice.