--- title: House Sit-In: Top 5 Moments of the Gun Control Fight description: Democratic lawmakers attracted protesters, angry Republicans and a swarm of social media posts with their day-long hold of the House floor. canonical: https://time.com/4380296/house-sitin-democrats-gun-control-video/ author: Will Drabold article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-06-23T19:20:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T22:49:02.538Z article:section: Politics og:title: Watch the 5 Most Interesting Moments of the House Sit-In og:description: From fighting to bursting into song. og:url: https://time.com/4380296/house-sitin-democrats-gun-control-video/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc3087f4b8dc3c5de/69889911cd1bba14f9701370/congress-sit-in-guns1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: US-ATTACKS-GAY-POLITICS og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch the 5 Most Interesting Moments of the House Sit-In twitter:description: From fighting to bursting into song. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc3087f4b8dc3c5de/69889911cd1bba14f9701370/congress-sit-in-guns1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch the 5 Most Interesting Moments of the House Sit-In > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0cd2d626-6f5f-47eb-9010-b3a1ce187ddb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0cd2d626-6f5f-47eb-9010-b3a1ce187ddb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=0cd2d626-6f5f-47eb-9010-b3a1ce187ddb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Will Drabold](https://time.com/author/will-drabold/) ## Will Drabold Jun 23, 2016 7:20 PM UTC  Rep. Esty(2n-L) with Rep. John Lewis(C) and other members of Congress staging a sit-in on the floor of the US House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. on June 22, 2016. Rep. Esty(2n-L) with Rep. John Lewis(C) and other members of Congress staging a sit-in on the floor of the US House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. on June 22, 2016. AFP/Getty Images by [Will Drabold](https://time.com/author/will-drabold/) ## Will Drabold Jun 23, 2016 7:20 PM UTC Democratic lawmakers attracted national attention, angry Republicans and a swarm of social media posts with their day-long hold of the House floor. Using social media to broadcast their sit-in, House Democrats and some visiting Senate colleagues demanded that Republican Speaker Paul Ryan allow a vote on gun control measures. The Speaker and his Republican colleagues refused to budge, and the protest ended just after 1 p.m. Thursday. Lawmakers have promised to resume on July 5, when the House is scheduled to gavel back into session. Here’s a look at five of the most interesting moments of the sit-in. **Democrats revolt against Speaker Paul Ryan** Almost 12 hours into the sit-in, Ryan attempted to retake control of the House floor with his Republican colleagues. GOP members streamed into the House as Democrats chanted, “No bill, no break!” House cameras were briefly turned back on to document the drama. Democrats held pieces of paper with the names of victims of the Orlando shooting. **Rep. Louie Gohmert shouts at Democratic colleagues** As Democrats continued to occupy the House floor, Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas decided he had enough. Gohmert walked up to Democrats and began yelling, “Radical Islam!” Democrats yelled back and eventually separated Gohmert from the core group at the center of the House. **Democrats sing ‘We shall pass a bill someday’** Around 10:30 p.m., as the House voted on legislation unrelated to guns, Democrats broke into song. They held hands and sang, “We shall overcome,” an anthem of the civil rights movement. In certain verses, Democrats amended the song, singing, “We shall pass a bill someday.” **Rep. Keith Ellison gets a note from his mom** While meeting with Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council tweeted that the House member got a note from his scheduler. “Your mom called and wants you on the floor,” the note read. Parsi’s #NoBillNoBreak tweet spread quickly on Twitter. > [](https://twitter.com/tparsi/status/745668721365098496) **Democrats turn to the Internet** Because the House was technically not in session for most of the Democratic sit-in, the cameras were turned off. The outside world was blind to what was happening inside. But only briefly. Various Democrats began livestreaming the sit-in on platforms like Facebook and Periscope. Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California has done multiple livestreams. His [current Periscope of the House](https://www.periscope.tv/w/1MYGNBELmWnGw) has been going since 5 a.m. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4380296/house-sitin-democrats-gun-control-video/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4380296/house-sitin-democrats-gun-control-video/"},"headline":"Watch the 5 Most Interesting Moments of the House Sit-In","datePublished":"2016-06-23T19:20:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T22:49:02.538Z","description":"From shouting matches to songs","url":"https://time.com/4380296/house-sitin-democrats-gun-control-video/","keywords":["Congress","democrats","Gun Control","Guns","Paul Ryan"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc3087f4b8dc3c5de/69889911cd1bba14f9701370/congress-sit-in-guns1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Will Drabold","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/will-drabold/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc3087f4b8dc3c5de/69889911cd1bba14f9701370/congress-sit-in-guns1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-ATTACKS-GAY-POLITICS","caption":"Rep. Esty(2n-L) with Rep. John Lewis(C) and other members of Congress staging a sit-in on the floor of the US House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. on June 22, 2016.","creditText":"AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4380296/house-sitin-democrats-gun-control-video/","name":"Watch the 5 Most Interesting Moments of the House Sit-In"}}]}] ```