WASHINGTON, D.C — U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, of Butler joined with Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday to condemn a sit-in protest staged by Democratic lawmakers as “immature” and “an obstruction.”

The protest, which began Wednesday on the House floor and stretched for more than 25 hours before ending Thursday afternoon, was an attempt by Democrats to force a vote on gun control legislation

Republicans, who control the House with a voting majority of 247 to 188, ultimately adjourned the session Thursday morning and went home for a Fourth of July recess. But they didn’t stay silent on the sit-in.

On Wednesday Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called the sit-in a “fundraising scheme” and a “publicity stunt” — something Kelly, R-3rd, said he agrees with.

“ ... the occupation of the House floor was an immature publicity stunt and an obstruction of the People’s Congress,” Kelly said in an e-mail statement.

“With House Democrats refusing to leave the floor, making speeches, chanting slogans, and shouting down any Republican who approached the podium, regular legislative business was not possible.”

According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, 19 House members livestreamed the sit-in on Facebook, getting more than 3 million views.

Democrats were demanding a vote on two bills they say would prevent suspected terrorists from buying firearms. One had already failed to pass a Senate vote, which Kelly pointed to in defending House Republicans’ refusal to bring the bill up for a vote.

“There was virtually no reason to consider it in the House ... (and) would have been an inappropriate waste of time, resources and tax dollars,” Kelly said.

He said his own problems with the bill included its impact on the due process rights of Americans who might find themselves on a terrorism watch list. Currently there is no way for people placed on the watch list to challenge the determination, and critics have questioned the process by which the lists are created and maintained by various government agencies.

“It appears House Dems are A-OK w/gov’t obstruction, as long as it’s for their agenda, undermining Constitutional rights. #NoBillNoBreak,” Kelly tweeted on Wednesday.