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'Your mom called': Congressman attends sit-in after seeing mom's note

Democratic congressman Keith Ellison headed to the gun control sit-in on the U.S. House floor after being prompted by a higher power: His mother. A spokesperson for the congressman says he cut his meetings short after receiving a note from his staff assistant outlining mom's wishes.
/ Source: TODAY Contributor

As Minnesota Democrat Rep. Keith Ellison worked to finish his meetings yesterday, the congressman's day was cut short by a note from an important constituent.

"Your mom called and she wants you on the floor!" read the note, which was delivered to Ellison by a staff assistant.

A spokesperson for Ellison's office tells TODAY the congressman's mother, Clida Ellison, called and identified herself as "Keith's mom," asking a staff member to let her son know that she wanted him to go to the floor of the U.S. House immediately to join the sit-in in support of gun control measures, which entered its second day on Thursday.

Trita Parsi, who was in the meeting with Ellison at the time, tweeted a photo of the note, saying, "So I'm meeting with Keith Ellison. His scheduler walks in and hands him this note. Meeting ends."

Ellison later tweeted a photo of himself attending the sit-in, proving that he was obeying his mom's orders.

In an interview with Minneapolis WCCO Radio host John Williams this morning, Ellison was sure to say hello to his mom on the air while laughing about the incident.

RELATED: 'Oh God, it's Mom': Political brothers hear from mother live on C-SPAN

"I was in the office taking meetings, but she said 'go to the floor,' so I had to go," said Ellison in the interview. "She doesn't care that I'm 52, she still tells me what to do."

Clida Ellison is no stranger to internet fame. Her son's office is often contacted regarding the time when the Detroit, Michigan resident appeared on an episode of Mo Rocca's Cooking Channel show "My Grandmother's Ravioli," where she cooked gumbo with the host.

The sit-in continued for a second day Thursday, as protesting Democrats demanded a vote on gun control measures opposed by Republicans. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, formally adjourned the House until July 5, calling the sit-in a publicity stunt.

"Speaker Ryan, we will not leave without acting for the victims & families of reckless gun violence," Georgia Democrat Rep. John Lewis, one of the leaders of the protest, said in a tweet.

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