In the News
Why Scott Peters live streamed House gun control sit-in
June 21, 2016
By Abby Hamblin
San Diego's own Rep. Scott Peters was a rebel with a cause Wednesday when he broke congressional rules and livestreamed a sit-in over gun control reform on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Democratic lawmakers all staged a sit-in in an effort to spur the House of Representatives to vote on gun control legislation. Congressional leaders took turns speaking and said they wouldn't rise until House Speaker Paul Ryan R-Wis. allowed a vote, following in the footsteps of Senate Democrats who filibustered on the same issue for nearly 15 hours last week.Peters was among them, and when the House session was halted Wednesday and cameras were shut off during the group's speeches, he used a livestreaming app called Periscope to show that the sit-in continued and what the congressmen and women were saying.
C-SPAN, the cable network that is constantly streaming the events of both arms of Congress, followed his lead and began streaming his periscope feed.
Peters' stream gained thousands of followers and national attention, including these headlines:
POLITICO: C-SPAN's viral video moment
Bustle: How To Watch The Democratic Gun Control Sit-In Even Though The GOP Doesn't Want You To
International Business Times: Gun Control Protests Hit Periscope: House Democrats Break Floor Rules With Live Video Broadcasts
Vox: The cameras are still off in the House chamber. But you can watch the sit-in on this live stream.
You can watch the C-SPAN stream here.
According to House rules, "A person on the floor of the House may not smoke or use a mobile electronic device that impairs decorum." On social media, people pondered the issue, but it didn't stop Peters.
Here's a look at some of the reaction to what Peters did.