Harris meets with expelled Tennessee lawmakers

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Tennessee hours after the Republican-controlled House expelled two Democratic lawmakers from the Legislature in retaliation for their role in a protest calling for more gun control in the aftermath of a school shooting in Nashville. The expelled state lawmakers are Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson.

The visit comes after President Joe Biden calling the expulsions “shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.”The ousting of Jones and Pearson, who are both Black, drew accusations of racism. Johnson, who is white, was allowed to continue to serve in the chamber. Republican leadership denied that race was a factor.Most state legislatures retain the power to expel members, but it is generally a rarely-used punishment for lawmakers accused of serious misconduct.