Amid a busy day filled with a slew of budget bills, Rep. Jewell Williams, chairman of the Philadelphia delegation, used a parliamentary procedure known as "unanimous consent" to voice his frustration over the stalled gun-control bills.
"I am going to make it completely clear: no gun legislation, no votes for the budget," Williams said. "Philadelphia members are constantly asked to support legislation that helps other areas of the state as our pleas for help continue to fall on deaf ears.
The Democrats hold a one-seat majority in the 203-member House. The caucus, with 17 members, could block the budget.
Rep. Thomas W. Blackwell of Philadelphia told anti-gun-control rural lawmakers, who make up the majority of the House, that he had no intention of trying to restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens.
"We're not trying to control what you do in your home," he said. "We're trying to control what's going on in the streets of Philadelphia."
Several suburban Philadelphia lawmakers stood to support their urban colleagues. Rep. Mike Gerber (D., Montgomery) said gun violence has a negative effect on the region.
"These problems don't know city borders," he said. "The guns flow into Montgomery County, certainly in levels that are unacceptable."
Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland (D., Delaware), chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, which has 17 House members, invoked the words of civil rights activist Malcolm X on the House floor, saying he was prepared to advance the cause of gun control "by any means necessary."
"We are prepared to stand firm and we could hold up some things," he said. When asked whether he meant the budget, Kirkland said, "yes."
It was unclear how many other members of the caucus would support Williams and Kirkland in their threat, but House leadership recognized the power of the caucus as a voting bloc.
