NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vice President Kamala Harris headed to Nashville Friday for a last-minute trip to meet with the Tennessee Three and discuss gun reform with state lawmakers.
In a tweet, Harris said that Justin Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson "won't be silenced and their demands for gun reform must be heard."
The move comes after Tennessee House lawmakers voted Thursday to expel St. Reps. Justin Pearson of Memphis and Justin Jones of Nashville. A vote to expel a third lawmaker, St. Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, failed.
The visitors' gallery exploded in screams and boos following the final vote. After sitting quietly for hours and hushing anyone who cried out during the proceedings, people broke into chants of "Shame!" and "Fascists!"
The expulsions came a week after the trio chanted back and forth from the chamber floor with gun control supporters in the gallery days after six people died in a shooting at Covenant School in Nashville.
In Washington, 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.
Johnson suggested race was likely a factor on why Jones and Pearson were ousted but not her, telling reporters it "might have to do with the color of our skin."
That notion was echoed by state Sen. London Lamar, a Democrat representing Memphis.
Lawmakers "expelled the two black men and kept the white woman," Lamar said via Twitter. "The racism that is on display today! Wow!"
However, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican who voted to expel all three, denied that race was at play and said Johnson's arguments might have swayed other members.
"Our members literally didn't look at the ethnicity of the members up for expulsion," Majority Leader William Lamberth added. He alleged Jones and Pearson were trying to incite a riot last week, while Johnson was more subdued.
GOP leaders said Thursday's actions were necessary to avoid setting a precedent that lawmakers' disruptions of House proceedings through protest would be tolerated. Republican Rep. Gino Bulso said the three Democrats had "effectively conducted a mutiny."
At an evening rally, 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."
Johnson, a retired teacher, said her concern about school shootings was personal, recalling a day in 2008 when students came running toward her out of a cafeteria because a student had just been shot and killed.
"The trauma on those faces, you will never, ever forget," she said.
Pearson and Jones may not be gone for long. County commissions in their districts get to pick replacements to serve until a special election can be scheduled 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.