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WASHINGTON — At about the time Wednesday that two shooters under investigation for potentially having terrorist ties were gunning down people at a community center in San Bernardino, House Republicans blocked legislation that would help prevent people on U.S. terrorist watch lists from buying firearms legally.
Republicans blocked the bill again Thursday, without debate, fending off efforts by Democrats to pass the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015, sponsored by Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who had introduced the bill in February.
The NRA and Republicans argue that there are hundreds of thousands of people on terrorist watch lists and that a blanket ban on sales of guns and explosives to such people would be an overly broad prohibition on gun ownership. Referring to the placement of people on the terrorist watch lists, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Feinstein’s bill assumes “that the federal government never makes a mistake ... but we all know better.”
The measure has been introduced repeatedly since 2007. The Government Accountability Office has documented that over years of congressional blockage, hundreds of suspected terrorists on the watchlist bought guns.<
Another bill that would have expanded background checks to gun show and online firearms sales to screen out convicted felons and the mentally ill also failed on Thursday. The four Republican senators running for president — Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham — all turned up to vote against these common-sense measures.
About 420,000 people are on the list administered by the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center, though only about 2 percent of those are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents legally able to buy guns. [Source]
While the bill remained a nonstarter, more than 2,000 suspects on the FBI’s Terrorist Watchlist bought weapons in the U.S. over the last 11 years, according to the federal Government Accountability Office.
The GAO reported that 91% of all suspected terrorists who tried to buy guns in America walked away with the weapon they wanted over the time period, with just 190 rejected despite their ominous histories.
originally posted by: dukeofjive696969
It didint take long for people coming up with more excuses, here ill answer for you guys, its obamas, the liberals, socialist fault.
originally posted by: SonOfThor
a reply to: ~Lucidity
What gets most people on a 'watch list'? Some bureaucrat hitting enter in a keyboard. Who defines terrorist? Bias institutions like the SPLC define militias with a broad stroke, bikers with a broad stroke, etc. (just like many do muslims).
This bill would effectively make it possible for a non-elected bureaucrat to deny an individual their 2nd amendment rights without due process of the law.
That might have a little something to do with folks' opposition to it.
About 420,000 people are on the list administered by the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center, though only about 2 percent of those are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents legally able to buy guns. [Source]
originally posted by: SonOfThor
a reply to: ~Lucidity
What gets most people on a 'watch list'? Some bureaucrat hitting enter in a keyboard. Who defines terrorist? Bias institutions like the SPLC define militias with a broad stroke, bikers with a broad stroke, etc. (just like many do muslims).
This bill would effectively make it possible for a non-elected bureaucrat to deny an individual their 2nd amendment rights without due process of the law.
That might have a little something to do with folks' opposition to it.
originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: ~Lucidity
I actually agree with their concerns. How easy is it to be put on a government list without any indication you broke the law? Look at the no fly list. People are placed on it and then are refused information as to why and trying to fight it in court is extremely difficult.
This is not so much a slippery slope as it is a cliff.
The guns in the CA shooting were purchased legally and they werent on any list.