During Democratic Sit-In, Rep. Keith Ellison Got a Kick in the Butt From His Mom

Impact

Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison is no stranger to political showdowns.

So it's no surprise that he was one of several Democrats to stage a sit-in on the House floor during a heated debate over a gun control bill:

Turns out he got an extra push from his mom, who sent him this note during a meeting, urging him to get his butt down to the sit-in. 

"Was in a meeting when my scheduler handed me this note. Couldn't say no," he wrote on Facebook. "Don't worry, mom. I'm there."

Ellison, a Democrat, took office in 2007 and became the first Muslim elected to the Congress. Since then, he's become a leading advocate on key issues like women's rights to abortion, LGBT equality and refugee resettlement. Here he is being arrested in front of the U.S. Capitol during an immigration reform protest in 2013:

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