A proposal to ban weapons sales to people suspected of being involved in terrorist activity would not have prevented the terrorist attack in Orlando, a Florida Democrat agreed Tuesday.
“I do recognize that at the time the Orlando shooter bought his gun he was not on the watch list, so it’s not an immediate question,” Rep. Alan Grayson told the Washington Examiner.
Congressional Democrats called for a ban on gun purchases by people on the terror watch list in December, and they have revived that push in the wake of the Orlando shooting. But that means embracing government lists that provoked criticism from civil liberties advocates over the last 15 years.
Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., reiterated his call for the ban Sunday morning, hours after the shooting at Pulse nightclub took place. “We should have moment of silence for the victims — immediately followed by a vote to close the loophole that allows people on the terror watch list to buy assault rifles — or any weapon,” Deutch said. “This isn’t politics; it’s common sense.”
Grayson was less definitive on Tuesday. “I’m keeping an open mind about it,” he said. “I think there is no doubt it could be written in a way that’s constitutionally-acceptable both on a Second Amendment basis and a due process basis.”
President Obama supports the Democratic-favored legislation, although his spokesman acknowledged that it wouldn’t have prevented Saturday night’s massacre.
“In the same way that there is no piece of legislation that would prevent every act of violence, there’s no executive action that’s going to prevent every act of violence, either,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday. “But the president’s frustration stems from the fact that there are common-sense steps that Congress could take that aren’t controversial across the country, that are strongly supported not just by Democrats but by a majority of Republicans and even a majority of gun owners that we know would have some impact in making our communities safer.”
