WASHINGTON — Gun control legislation relating to terrorism may emerge from the upper chamber in the near future.
In the wake of the Sunday terror attack in Orlando, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters members will meet Wednesday with James Comey, Director of the FBI and Sec. of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson to discuss whether or not there should be a legislative push to attempt to keep guns out of terrorists’ hands.
“If we want to engage in a serious legislative effort, we’re going to talk to the experts about what we could do to be helpful. Our suspicion is this is basically a politically motivated effort that we’re likely to see on Commerce, Justice, and State, but we’re open,” McConnell told reporters Tuesday during the weekly leaders presser. “Nobody wants terrorists to have firearms. We’re open to serious suggestions from the experts as to what we might be able to do to be helpful.”
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, however, has different plans and announced Tuesday the Democrats will try to force a vote on a measure that will not allow anyone on the terrorist watch list to purchase a firearm. Reid said the amendment is expected to be in the next Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill. Reid also announced the Democrats want to force a vote to fund the FBI.
“We’re also going to force a vote, I repeat, to totally fund the FBI. Republicans are shortchanging the funding President Obama requested for the FBI by more than $100 million. Both of these amendments are germane and deserve an up or down vote,” Reid said. “So I hope Republicans will find the courage to help us pass meaningful legislation to protect the American people. They’re certainly doing a good job in protecting Donald Trump.”
Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal told reporters that he believes that after talking to some Republicans, a “tipping point” has been reached.
“The terror watch-list has to be made as accurate as possible and there has to be a process for someone who feels that if his name is included in error to challenge and remove it. That’s a matter of simple justice and due process,” Blumenthal told reporters Tuesday. “But the possibility of an error should not doom the idea of having a terror watch list and having people deemed too dangerous to fly should also be deemed too dangerous to buy a gun.”
However, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn hit back at Democrats for pushing gun control legislation following the terrorist attack in Orlando.
“We have to decide whether we actually want to decide to solve a problem or not or whether people just want their political talking points. Right now, our Democratic friends seemed to be more interested in opportunistically using this tragedy to advance their agenda rather than looking to work with us to solve problems,” Cornyn said.
