Republicans, Terrorism Experts, NRA Members to House GOP: Stop Letting Terror Suspects Buy Guns
As House Republicans continue to protect terrorists' legal ability to purchase deadly weapons, the facts are staggering: according to the GAO, over the last 11 years, more than 2,000 suspects on the FBI's Terrorist Watchlist bought weapons in the United States. More than 90 percent of all suspected terrorists who tried to buy guns in America walked away with the weapon they wanted over the time period.
House Republicans should listen to the warnings from counter-terrorism and law enforcement experts, members of their own party, and NRA members themselves – who have all urged Congress to act to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists and criminals.
REPUBLICANS, COUNTER-TERRORISM & LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERTS, NRA MEMBERS SAY: STOP PROTECTING TERRORISTS' ABILITY TO PURCHASE GUNS
The Bush Administration:
"The [Bush] Justice Department proposed legislation…that would give the attorney general discretion to bar terrorism suspects from buying firearms, seeking to close a gap in federal gun laws." [4/07]
Republican Former NJ Governor Tom Kean:
"Congress has also failed to close a gap in federal law that prevents the FBI from blocking a sale to an individual under investigation for terrorist activity…The Bush administration asked Congress to authorize the FBI to block gun sales to terrorist suspects, to no avail… If lawmakers fail to close gaps in the background check system…the next terrorist shooting on American soil will be shocking, but it will not be surprising." [11/09]
Republican Congressman Peter King:
"[It is] more important than ever that we have the toughest laws in place to keep weapons out of the hands of terrorists…any type of weapons they could use against Americans…This is clearly a terrorist loophole, where terrorists – even if a person's name is on the terrorist watch list, they can go out and purchase a weapon. This should be a bipartisan issue. The Bush Administration supported my legislation, and now the Obama Administration is supporting it as well. This should clearly be a bipartisan issue. We should not allow people on the terrorist watch list to purchase a weapon." [5/10]
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller:
"FBI Director Robert Mueller suggested Tuesday that Congress consider barring terrorism suspects from legally buying guns after an audit found that 47 people on a terrorism watch list were approved for purchases last year… ‘We ought to look at what can be done to perhaps modify the law,' Mueller told members of a House Appropriations subcommittee." [3/05]
Richard Clarke, Counter-Terrorism Expert in Bush Administration
Imagining a hypothetical terrorist attack at the Mall of America: "It had not been hard for the terrorists to buy all their guns legally, in six different states across the Midwest." [1/05]
Gun owners and NRA Members:
According to a 2012 poll, 71 percent of current or former NRA members and 80 percent of the other gun owners support preventing people on a terrorist watch list from purchasing guns. [7/12]
Former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly:
"All of our collective efforts would benefit from the passage of this bill, which would exclude anyone who is on the terror watch list from being able to legally purchase a gun, obtain a permit to buy explosives, or a license to sell them," [5/10]
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP):
"The IACP has long advocated for laws that prevent individuals who pose a danger to society or themselves from purchasing firearms. As you know, under current law an individual wishing to purchase a firearm must undergo a background check, having their name run through the National Instant Background Check System. Certain individuals—such as those convicted of a felony or those listed on the FBI's Violent Gang List—cannot legally purchase firearms. S.1237 would properly classify those who are on the terror watch list prohibited purchases." [3/08]