Democrats on Tuesday used delay tactics in both the House and Senate to protest the lack of any consideration in Congress on new gun control legislation.
In the House, Democrats made a motion to adjourn four times, forcing lengthy votes each time, as part of a bid to get the GOP leadership to call up legislation that would prevent anyone on the FBI terror watch list from purchasing guns or explosives. Democrats voted against their own motion each time, but the votes slowed the House’s work dramatically, and members were forced to hold votes on non-controversial bills inbetween.
Across the Capitol, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., made a motion to bring up a similar bill, and asked senators to agree unanimously. Republicans rejected the motion, arguing the terror watch list is error-ridden and would deny innocent people who are accidentally included on the list of their constitutional right to buy firearms.
Republicans also accused Democrats of exploiting last week’s shooting in San Bernardino to score political points.
“This is about trying to change the subject and distract the American people from the fact that the president has no strategy to defeat ISIS,” said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Democrats said their legislation is aimed at preventing tragedies like the one in San Bernardino, where 14 people were killed by a Muslim couple connected to the Islamic State.
“What we want to do is stop terrorism before it happens,” Murphy said.
Democrats also held a hearing of their gun violence task force, which House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., used to again call for gun legislation.
The Democratic delay tactics were likely to continue all week, and reflect their position that the best way to reduce violence from radical Islamic terrorists is to put new restrictions on access to guns. Republicans, meanwhile, say they want more tighter inspections of Syrian refugees that the Obama administration has proposed to take in over the next two years.
