It’s come to this.
The office of Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issued a statement today calling on Republicans to join Democrats in calling for a vote on the bill:
Congress’s first responsibility is to protect and defend the American people. The horrifying terror attacks in Paris give searing urgency to that responsibility.The bill was sponsored by Republican Pete King of New York on Feb 25, 2015, and it has since languished in the cluttered corner of House bills never to see the light of day, aka, it was referred to committee.
However, Republicans refuse to close the outrageous loophole that allows suspects on the terrorist watchlist to buy guns. In fact, since 2004, more than 2,000 suspects on the FBI’s Terrorist Watchlist have successfully purchased weapons in the United States. More than 90 percent of all suspected terrorists who attempted to purchase guns in the last 11 years walked away with the weapon they wanted.
Today, with Democrats’ Previous Question, Republicans will have a choice: join Democrats in calling for a vote on H.R. 1076, the bipartisan King-Lofgren Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act, or continue to allow suspected terrorists to buy deadly weapons.
Congress must close this exceedingly dangerous loophole. It is time for House Republicans to join Democrats to pass this critical, commonsense legislation.
What does it do that is so egregious Republicans won’t even bring it up for a vote? Oh, terrible things- I mean, first President Obama comes for their guns in person and then– no, wait. Sorry. That’s the Republican/NRA conspiracy belief about what any reasonable gun safety laws would do.
In reality, the act is intended to “increase public safety by permitting the Attorney General to deny the transfer of a firearm or the issuance of firearms or explosives licenses to a known or suspected dangerous terrorist.”
The only logical conclusion is that Republicans feel they are mostly terrorists who would be denied guns if this were passed. In which case, they should probably not be in Congress making laws.
An earlier version of this bill was introduced in 2007.
The public supports reasonable gun safety laws but Republicans see denying terrorists access to guns as a restriction on Republicans’ second amendment rights. A notion which, again, is worth exploring.
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