The "Tennessee Three" lawmakers are heading to the White House to meet with President Joe Biden and discuss gun control reform on Monday following their historic expulsions and reinstatements to the Tennessee legislature.
Biden extended invitations to state Reps. Justin Jones, Gloria Johnson, and Justin Pearson, commending the Democrats for drawing attention to the rise in gun violence in the United States following several mass shootings. Jones and Pearson, who are black, were ousted from the legislature in a Republican-spurred vote and immediately reinstated in the following days. Johnson, who is white, was not expelled after being saved by just one vote.
TENNESSEE THREE: WHERE KEY PARTIES STAND IN EXPULSION THAT GRABBED NATIONAL HEADLINES
"What you'll see is the president sitting down with these three legislators, having a conversation on how to move forward with commonsense gun reform; how to move forward on protecting our communities, our kids, our churches," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday.
The president has received some scrutiny for inviting the legislators, but not the families of the victims of the Covenant School shooting, a mass shooting that sparked a large protest at the Tennessee state Capitol. The three lawmakers had taken the podium on the state House floor to echo protesters' calls for gun reform, which state Republicans believed had disrupted the session and was akin to inciting an insurrection, bringing "disorder and dishonor" to the state legislature.
Since then, there have been some steps made toward gun reform. Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) broke with his own party over the topic, signing an executive order strengthening background checks for firearms in the state. He also called on his party to pass a bill creating red flag protections based on mental health, which Tennessee Republicans are heavily pushing back against.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The state legislature passed a bill last week shielding gun and ammunition dealers, sellers, and manufacturers from lawsuits, which is now heading to Lee's desk. It is unknown if Lee will sign it. The legislature adjourned on Friday, but Lee said he would call a special session to discuss the topic of gun reform further.
"There is broad agreement that dangerous, unstable individuals who intend to harm themselves or others should not have access to weapons. We also share a strong commitment to preserving Second Amendment rights, ensuring due process and addressing the heart of the problem with strengthened mental health resources," Lee wrote in a Friday statement.