Sen. Bill Nelson joined a bipartisan group to unveil a new measure to stop people on terror watch lists from buying a gun, one day after the U.S. Senate rejected four measures on gun control.
- Bipartisan group promotes compromise
- "If you are too dangerous to fly on an airplane, you're too dangerous to buy a gun"
- Includes an appeals process that should take care of constitutional concerns
- Notifies the FBI if someone who was on the list in the last 5 years buys a gun
Nelson, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine and others presented the measure Wednesday. It is an amendment that will be attached to an appropriations bill for the Departments of Commerce and Justice.
- READ the compromise measure (.pdf)
The new measure includes a provision that would ban an individual trying to buy a gun who is on the no-fly list or the selectee list. The total of people on these lists are 109,000 people, mostly foreign nationals.
"Basically we believe if you are too dangerous to fly on an airplane, you're too dangerous to buy a gun," said Sen. Collins.
The measure also notifies the FBI if someone who has been on the terrorism screen database within the last five years, so that the FBI can investigate.
The measure also includes a process to appeal the denial of a gun purchase for American citizens and Green Card holders. In that case, the government would have to prove the individual is a terror suspect. If the person wins the appeal, their court fees will be paid.
The senators co-sponsoring this bill include:
- Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire
- Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine
- Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona
- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina
- Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-North Dakota
- Sen. Marin Heinrich, D-New Mexico
- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia
- Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida
- Sen. Angus King, I-Maine
Senators voted on four amendments Tuesday, two proposed by Democrats and two proposed by Republicans, and rejected them all. The four amendments addressed a gun control background check and the no-fly, no-buy list, but the Democrats' bills were far more stringent and destined to fail in the majority Republicans Senate.
Nelson filed a similar amendment earlier last week, days after the Pulse nightclub attack where 49 people were killed. Shooter Omar Mateen was on the terror watch list from 2013 to 2014, but was removed after the FBI closed his case after it was ruled inconclusive.
He was able to buy two guns legally. Both were used in the attack.
"I owe it to the people of Orlando to try to get something done. I owe it not only to those families, of 49, but I owe it to those families of people still in the hospital, some of which may not make it," Nelson said.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, said the only way to get anything passed is a bipartisan solution, and if this passes it will help him make the case for fixing gaps in the background check system.
"We're at war, and I don't really know how to protect our nation without really changing the way we do business," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina.
"I'm sick of the shootings, I'm sick of the vigils, I'm sick of the homicide victims support groups, I'm sick of the claims that we'll do something about it, I'm sick of the partisan rhetoric, and I'm really sick of getting to the end of all of that and not doing something about it and seeing that happen again and again and again and again!" said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia.
Sen. Collins said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will allow a vote on the compromise.