A sweeping GOP anti-terrorism bill House Republicans hoped to pass this week appears stalled over Republican objections to gun control language that’s also in the bill.
House GOP leaders delayed action on the bill Tuesday in order to give Republicans a chance to discuss it Wednesday morning, which made it clear many Republicans aren’t happy with it. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he is “confident” the legislation will be ready for a vote this week or next week, but he faces significant pushback from a conservative faction of Republicans who say they oppose the measure.
The House Freedom Caucus announced they will oppose the legislation, in part because of language in the bill that would implement a three-day block on gun purchases by individuals who are on a federal terror watch list. The faction is made up of about three dozen lawmakers, but that’s enough to put passage in jeopardy because Democrats are likely to oppose the bill.
Republican opponents, including lawmakers outside of the Freedom Caucus, say the legislation does not adequately protect due process for those on the watch list, which is secret and notoriously error-prone. The provision would give the attorney general three days to prove in court why the individual should not be allowed to purchase a gun, a due process provision that Democrats have opposed in the Senate.
“I’m not going to vote for an unelected official using hidden criteria to put people they don’t like on a list, that may yank you out of your state to try to prove that you are not a terrorist,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas. “There are a number of Republicans who feel the very same way.”
Ryan told reporters he is now meeting with both Republicans and Democrats to reshape the bill, although it is highly unlikely Ryan would allow gun control measures authored by Democrats to become part of the legislation.
“I think there is still a path forward,” Ryan said after meeting with Republican House lawmakers on Wednesday. “We have members on both sides of the aisle who want to make changes to the bill.”
“We are gathering all of that information so we make a good decision,” he said.
Democrats have threatened a repeat of June House floor demonstrations if they are not allowed a vote on a bill to expand gun background checks and legislation to ban those on the terror watch list from purchasing firearms.
Reps. John Lewis, D-Ga., and John Larson, D-Conn., who are sponsors of that legislation, met with Ryan on Tuesday night.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Tuesday it is unlikely the GOP would allow votes on the Democratic gun provisions because it would reward their floor demonstrations, which disrupted the legislative schedule and forced an early adjournment in June.
