Democrats say that each of those incidents occurred on its own merits. But each disruption had the same effect: the ensuing mayhem galvanized the Democratic base and made the GOP look like it had lost control over the House.

The House is decidedly not the Senate, where the minority party can effectively stop most legislation.

House rules offer limited options for the minority party to move legislation on their own or to halt floor proceedings.

To force passage of gun control legislation, Democrats could start what’s known as a discharge petition, or force procedural votes like motions to adjourn to stage protests.

But a discharge petition almost never works. It requires a majority of House members to sign on to it, meaning Republicans would have to back the effort.

Such wonky procedural moves also aren’t as likely to capture the nation’s attention.