A proposal by a Democratic senator to expand background checks and close the gun show loophole – now no checks are required for people buying guns at gun shows – was brought down by 56-44.
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U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., voted with Republicans to kill Democratic lawmakers’ attempts to toughen background checks for gun purchases on Monday.
It fell 13 votes short of the 60 necessary to move forward.
A Republican Party proposal for a similar ban but only if prosecutors could convince a judge in three days that the would-be buyer was involved in terrorism was also defeated by the same margin.
The deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history last week intensified pressure on politicians and spurred quick action in Congress, although the measures were expected to lose, showing the lingering political power in Congress of gun rights defenders and the National Rifle Association (NRA).
UNDETERRED by the worst mass shooting by a single person in U.S. history, Republicans and Democrats have been unable to agree on a bill to stop gun sales to people on terrorism watch-lists.
Gunman Omar Mateen was on the USA government’s terrorism watch list and had been under FBI investigation, but was nonetheless able to purchase a semi-automatic assault rifle used in a shooting rampage that killed 49 people.
During Monday’s debate, Democrats deemed the Republican proposals too weak, while Republicans said the Democratic bills were too strong and violated the US Constitution’s Second Amendment right to bear arms.
So what’s next? Republican Senator Susan Collins of ME is reportedly working on a bi-partisan proposal, and the Senate has not ruled out another vote later on this week.
In the aftermath of Orlando, poll after poll shows the majority of Americans support some kind of gun control.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, a Republican, had sponsored the bill to increase money for the background check system.
Shot down. A series of bills aimed at toughening up gun control failed on the Senate floor. The votes began this evening around 5:30 and by the time most of you finished dinner, every one failed.
Before the vote, Feinstein argued that under her bill, authorities could have blocked Omar Mateen from buying the semi-automatic rifle and handgun he used in the Orlando attack because he previously was on the FBI’s terrorism watch list.
Chris Murphy’s bill would have required the current, inadequate list of people who can’t buy guns to be applied to even more sales, including sales between friends or relatives.
At least both parties found common ground, if only temporarily: Both Cornyn and Feinstein’s amendments would require law enforcement to be notified if people like the Orlando shooter, who had been investigated for terrorist ties, tried to buy guns.
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Two other measures, both relating to restrictions for gun purchases from people on the federal no-fly list, also failed Monday night.
