At least two Democrats refused to participate in a moment of silence on the House floor meant to honor the victims of the deadly Las Vegas shooting.
Massachusetts Representative Katherine Clark was seen walking off the floor after Speaker Paul Ryan called for the moment of silence.
She later said why she refused:
"I cannot adequately express my despair over the senseless terror and loss in Las Vegas. The tragedy is still unfolding but we know that, once again, a public gathering has been transformed into a deadly massacre. Each time it has happened, whether it’s Sandy hook, Charleston, or the Pulse Nightclub, Congress has refused to act on families’ desperate pleas for action.
Families at home did not send us to Washington for our thoughts and prayers. We need to act on the numerous common sense proposals that could help prevent tragedies like this one, the mass shootings that have occurred across our country, and the gun violence that terrorizes our communities every day."
Another Massachusetts Representative, Seth Moulton also didn't participate calling the moment of silence "an excuse for inaction."
Moulton is a war veteran and is considered a potential contender for the 2020 presidential nomination.
He also refused to stand for a moment of silence after the 2016 mass shooting in the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.