(UPDATE) US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with three Tennessee lawmakers, including Filipino-American Justin Jones, who were subjected to expulsion votes at the state House of Representatives, with the country's leader thanking them for their "leadership and courage."

On Twitter early Saturday, Biden shared a photo showing him in a virtual meeting with Jones, Reps. Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson, captioned, "Our country needs to take action on gun violence — to do that we need more voices like theirs speaking out."

The "Tennessee Three", who are Democrats, were asked to be expelled by their Republican colleagues for alleged "disorderly behavior" when they stood on the House floor and used a bullhorn to lead protesters in chanting demands for stricter gun laws in the wake of the March mass shooting in Nashville.

Jones and Pearson were eventually ousted while Johnson survived the process.

"Earlier, I spoke to Reps Jones, Pearson, and Johnson to thank them for their leadership and courage in the face of a blatant disregard of our nation’s democratic values," Biden, who also invited the lawmakers to the White House, said in his tweet.

"Punishing lawmakers who joined thousands of peaceful protesters calling for action" is "shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent," he said, alluding to the action of Republican Party officials.

Biden premised his remarks on the death of "three kids and three officials... in yet another mass shooting."

Johnson thanked Biden "for standing with us".

Harris, meanwhile, met with the lawmakers at Fisk University, where there was a community event at the Memorial Chapel.

She described the expulsion as "undemocratic and dangerous."

"Today, I stood with parents, students, and the Tennessee Three. They won't be silenced and their demands for gun reform must be heard. In Congress and in state legislatures around our nation, leaders must have the courage to act," she said in a separate tweet.

Former US President Barack Obama lamented on Twitter that "What happened in Tennessee is the latest example of a broader erosion of civility and democratic norms."

"Silencing those who disagree with us is a sign of weakness, not strength, and it won’t lead to progress," he said.

"This nation was built on peaceful protest. No elected official should lose their job simply for raising their voice – especially when they’re doing it on behalf of our children."

Obama's tweet was shared by the Tennessee Three on their respective Twitter accounts.

In a statement posted on its Twitter account, the Tennessee House Republican Caucus said the behavior of the two expelled lawmakers "violated multiple permanent rules of order, in addition to state law."

"Our focus continues to be on the six innocent lives that were brutally taken last week at the Convent School, not those who have chosen to make this tragedy about themselves," they said.

Pearson said their "peaceful protest was because another preventable school shooting happened at Covenant School in Nashville & the People's House chose to ignore them and expel us instead!"

"We must work tirelessly to protect our kids, communities, to end gun violence, and protect our democracy," he added.

"We will not stop. We will not give up! We will continue working to build a nation that includes, not excludes, or unjustly expels. People power will always prevail!" he added as he sought support for his Movement for Justice campaign.

• Fil-Am Tennessee lawmaker says being silenced in the wake of mass shooting

- with report from TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News

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