Democrats insisted, however, on House action by Memorial Day on the juvenile justice bill and its new gun restrictions approved by the Senate Thursday.

Majority Republicans, anxious to let the issue cool, refused to budge Friday from their plans to hold committee hearings on the matter next week with no floor debate until mid-June.

"We're going to make sure that we do this in a reasonable, rational and responsible way," said John Feehery, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.