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FILE - In this file July 8, 2016 file photo, civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus participate in a news conference on Capitol in Washington. Lewis and more than 30 House Democrats plan to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, casting the Republican businessman as a threat to democracy. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

GOP asks America to wait while Lewis fights for more gun control

Atlanta Congressman and Civil Rights icon John Lewis held a press conference Wednesday pushing for stronger gun control laws, in the wake of the tragic Las Vegas shooting. Lewis, as well as several other House Democrats, is calling for a bill that would strengthen firearm background checks. Lawmakers also want a bipartisan Select Committee on Gun Violence established in Congress, to study the issue and recommend potential legislation.

“How many more dead bodies will it take to wake up this Congress?” Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., asked. “This must stop and it must stop now.” Lewis was joined by former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams and ex-state Rep. Stacey Evans.

Meanwhile, Republicans are asking Americans to wait and Georgia Republican leaders are using the tragedy as an opportunity to promote themselves and spark controversy. Gov. Deal was quick to point out that he recently raised police officer salaries and State Sen. Michael Williams questioned in a tweet whether any NFL players would “take a knee to law enforcement” during Monday night’s NFL game.

Lewis’ action comes about a year after he and his colleagues seized the floor for more than 24 hours to protest GOP leaders refusal to bring up legislation for common-sense gun policy after the deadly shooting at the Orlando nightclub.

Lewis keeps fighting for action and demands changes to gun regulations while Republicans continue to waste time and dodge the issues. We can’t afford to wait any longer.

Watch the whole press conference here.

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