CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
June 27, 2009 – 9:45 a.m.
Closing the ‘Terror Gap’ on Gun Purchases
By Kevin Robillard, CQ Staff
It may be hard to imagine that a suspected terrorist can buy a gun in the United States but federal law allows it — and two lawmakers are trying to close that loophole.
A recent Government Accountability Office report found that 963 background checks during gun purchases found applicants matching names on the terrorist watch list and 865, or more than 90 percent, of these purchases were allowed because there was no legal way to stop them. One person on the watch list was able to buy explosives.
“The current law simply defies common sense,” Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg , D-N.J., said in a statement June 22. “This new report is proof positive that known and suspected terrorists are exploiting a major loophole in our law, threatening our families and our communities. This ‘terror gap’ has been open too long, and our national security demands that we shut it down.”
Lautenberg and Rep. Peter T. King of New York, the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, are sponsoring legislation that would authorize the attorney general to prevent such purchases if he believes they will use the firearms in terrorist attacks.
Lautenberg, who introduced his bill (
King’s legislation (
“Common-sense laws that protect us from terrorism must be put in place,” King said in a statement. “Our role in Congress is to create laws that protect the American people, not to uphold those that give terrorists the right to bear arms.”
So far, both bills have attracted support mainly among lawmakers who staunchly support gun control.
However, the National Rifle Association said the terrorist watch list was too poorly maintained to justify preventing gun sales to people on it.
“The integrity of the terror watch list is poor,” said Chris Cox, the NRA’s chief lobbyist. “To deny law-abiding people due process and their Second Amendment rights based on a secret list is not how we do things in America.”
Under the law, felons, illegal immigrants, and drug addicts are among the groups now denied the right to buy guns.
As of March, more than 1 million names were on the watch list; the GAO and the Justice Department’s inspector general have criticized the list for its inaccuracy.
Lautenberg’s bill includes safeguards to allow people denied gun purchases to challenge the decision. He and King introduced similar legislation in 2007, which was supported by the Bush administration’s Justice Department. The Obama administration is reviewing the proposed legislation.
Comments
Yah, vee want to deprive you of your rights without de trouble of a trial...Vee don't like you so vee put you on this list...
The problem is there is no control of who gets on this list. Ted Kennedy was on this list, as well as many law abiding citizens. If one of the elite does like you views, you might just end up there too!
The Constitution requires due process of law before rights can be denied. This "terror list" list is secretive and nearly impossible to get off of, let alone to find out you are on it in the first place or why. Law-abiding citizens should not stand for their government denying rights in secret.
I like how the NRA is part of the culture that thinks the Dems are in bed with terrorists and thus unpatriotic yet they're ok with potential terrorists being allowed to carry weapons. more hypocrisy from the right. It just never ends....
I really couldn't care less abut the so-called "War on Terror". How about if the government just declares bankruptcy and goes out of business? Our federal gov't is illegitimate anyways. Good riddance to it!
No, it is not as "hard to imagine that a suspected terrorist can buy a gun in the United States but federal law allows it" as it is to imagine that the government can add people secretly to a BLACKLIST and then deny ANY right without evidence, trial, appeal, nor any form of due process. Anyone who finds this acceptable (e.g., just put someone on the list without evidence) should be right at home with sending that same person to GitMo or even water boarding that 'suspected terrorist.' And the truth is that MOST 'suspected terrorists' are not citizens or other legal residents and could not legally buy nor own a firearm anyway. Want to reduce crime including terrorism? Just let the police abuse the 4th and 5th Amendment rights of 'suspects' -- sure the police (mostly) know who is guilty and who is not, even without a trial. Right? -- and two lawmakers are trying to close that loophole.
This is just another attemped gun grab by the king of them all. Lautenberg is the author of another gun grab scheme that is unfortunately current law (The Lautenberg Ammenment), which also takes away your gun rights without any due process. Just the mere accusation of a domestic partner and they will throw you out of your house and take away all your guns. Yes, there is a hearing of sorts, but you are presummed guilty and the judge alone decides what evidence can be presented. No jury trial. You can't go near a gun until the protection order is vacated. Lautenberg would stop at NOTHING to take away your guns. The Constition is toilet paper to him!
Yes, let's have secret government blacklists! Let's make it so those lists affect liberties such a freedom of speech and freedom from search and seizure! Who cares about those anyway? If you get on the list, then you're clearly a bad person and DESERVE it.
It's a secret TERROR WATCH LIST. No, you can't ask if you're on it. However, try to fly commercial and get rejected, then you'll know you are either a suspect or an innocent wrongly accused. If the former, "go to ground". If the latter, p*** up a rope because you can't get this "fixed". Sounds like an intelligent plan to me. Warn our enemies... harrass our citizens... call it a good thing.
There are over 1.2 million people on this list. They shouldn't all lose their rights just because some bureaucrat doesn't like what they believe. If this law passes then the United States of America as we knew it is truly dead and I shudder to the of the worse atrocities to come.
"Steve June 29, 2009 12:37 AM" "I like how the NRA is part of the culture that thinks the Dems are in bed with terrorists and thus unpatriotic yet they're ok with potential terrorists being allowed to carry weapons. more hypocrisy from the right. It just never ends...." Hey Steve... I want the Dems to be able to buy firearms too! (as long as they are not convicted FELONS) It doesn't matter if they are on the "potential terrorist" list.
POST A COMMENT
Oops! The following errors must be addressed: