Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., called for a vote to ban people on the terror watch list from purchasing weapons following the mass shooting in Orlando.
“TOMORROW, when we return to Washington, we should have a 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 in a Sunday morning statement. “This isn’t politics; it’s common sense.”
President Obama and congressional Democrats have called repeatedly called for barring gun purchases by people on the no-fly list or the terrorist watch list. Republicans oppose such restrictions because the terrorist watch list is comprised of people who have not been accused of a crime or convicted of any wrongdoing.
“The majority of the people on the no-fly list are oftentimes people that just basically have the same name as somebody else, who doesn’t belong on the no-fly list,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said on CNN in December. “Former Sen. Ted Kennedy once said he was on a no-fly list. There are journalists on the no-fly list.”
Deutch and other Democrats might have the opportunity to force votes on such a proposal, which previously failed in December, as House Republicans take up the spending bills required to fund the government. But the Florida Democrat suggested that wider-ranging restrictions on weapons might be necessary.
“In the weeks to come, we should not be afraid to ask why, when an AR-15 assault rifle is the one thing that’s common to Orlando, San Bernardino and Newtown, we allow these deadly weapons to be freely available?” Deutch said in his statement. “And why every gun purchaser isn’t subject to a background check? And why the mental health crisis isn’t urgently addressed?”
