Posted on 06/21/2016 12:03:22 PM PDT by jazusamo
"Essentially we believe that if you are too dangerous to fly on an airplane, you are too dangerous to buy a gun," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters.
The legislation would allow the attorney general to block the sale of a gun if an individual is on the "no-fly" list or the so-called "selectee" list, which requires additional screening at an airport.
Collins said the two lists affect approximately 109,000 people, most of whom are foreigners.
The legislation would allow the decision to be appealed. If successful, Collins said Americans and green card holders could get their attorney fees covered if their appeal is successful.
It also includes a "look back" provision that would notify the FBI if someone who was on the broader terror watchlist in the past five years buys a gun.
In addition to Collins, Republican Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Jeff Flake (Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) appeared at Tuesday's press conference.
Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine (Va.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.) and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Independent Sen. Angus King (Maine), who caucuses with Democrats, also appeared in support of the bill Tuesday.
Collins’s bill is expected to get a vote, but she'll need 60 supporters for the provision to through the Senate. Democrats say about 20 GOP senators would need to back the bill to get it past the threshold.
Collins said a vote on her measure could happen this week or next week, depending on the floor schedule.
Heitkamp said they still needed to gauge support among the Democratic caucus, but that she believes Democratic senators "are ready to get something done. They're ready to move the ball forward."
Kaine urged Democrats to support it, arguing it would allow them to keep pushing for support for stronger background check laws.
"I'm sick of the shootings. I'm sick of the vigils. ... I'm sick of the claims that we'll do something about it. I'm sick of the partisan rhetoric," he told reporters.
But senators in both parties have largely stayed on the fence on the Collins' proposal.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said "the due process issues matter so much to people,” noting that the legislation was still evolving early Tuesday afternoon.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), one of three Democrats who voted against a broad background check measure Monday, said "absolutely I'm interested in it," adding he still needed to read it.
Collins' proposal comes after the Senate on Monday evening rejected — largely along party lines — two proposals aimed at blocking suspected terrorists from buying a gun. They also voted down two gun-control measures.
Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) pointed fingers Tuesday morning about who was to blame for Congress' inaction.
Reid said Republicans let their actions "be dictated by the National Rifle Association (NRA).”
"Here's a little secret for my Republican colleagues. The NRA doesn't care about you. It doesn't care about your constituents. It doesn't care about the constitutional rights of the followers," he added.
McConnell blamed the stalemate on Democrats, calling Cornyn's amendment a "serious proposal ... and Democrats voted against it."
Feinstein's proposal would have allowed the attorney general to block the sale of a gun if there was a "reasonable suspicion" if a person had been or would be involved with a terrorist attack.
Cornyn's would have allowed the attorney general to temporarily block the buying of a gun as a court decided whether or not the sale should be permanently blocked.
Democrats have focused on gun issues ahead of the November election, accusing Republicans of putting loyalty to the NRA ahead of stopping potential acts of terrorism.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) — who waged a 15-hour filibuster last week — called Collins' legislation "encouraging" but added that the "devil is in the details."
"I've talked with everyone in Democratic leadership, I think it's clear that if we can get a compromise that is going to materially increase public safety and keep terrorists from getting guns we're going to vote for it," he added.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) praised Collins for making a "valiant effort," but said while an outline of the bill "seems to be a step in the right direction,” it also has "fixable problems."
All the usual RINO suspects.
Import muslims who commit terrorism in the name of their religion and take away constitutional rights of American citizens to make up for it.
Treason is what we used to call it.
Jeff Flake continues to ‘grow’ as a Congressman.
Another lying bastard that talked a good talk to get elected.
Will Lois Lerner be brought out of retirement to “manage” that “no-fly” list?
And, at the same time they want to take our guns away. It's a win-win for leftist statists.
The bill will pay for a watch list watchdog. Lois Learner may be tapped for this position.
Airport screening should be of such high quality that no-fly lists/special screening should be unnecessary.
Exactly...RATS and Lib Repubs want terrorist refugees in and the 2nd Amendment out.
You can bet every veteran and FReeper will be on the list, will have no idea until we try to fly or buy a gun, then we have to hire an attorney in federal court to dispute why we are on the list, then some gutless judge will vote against us “in the interest of national security”.
Any questions?
Wonder why they didn’t finish the job when Reid had that major beat-down last year?
Meh. You can’t extort cash out of a corpse.
He’s another one on my, ‘Piss on your grave’ list. What a hateful little troll.
NO!
The No Fly list is a black hole of non-Due-Process.
Patently unconstitutional suspension of Constitutional Rights.
Connecting these two is a bad idea and if it becomes the law you can take to the bank that the government will abuse it to go after any American citizen who speaks against DC tyranny.
Quit reading as soon as I saw Susan Collins name
First you pass a law establishing a no-fly list. Opponents are told there is no Constitutional right to get on an airplane, so everything is OK.
A few years later you pass a law using that no-fly list to prohibit those appearing on it from buying guns.
See, you can wipe out an individual right in two easy steps - and those who swore an oath to defend the Constitution don’t bat an eye.
Actually, they will probably use the FISA court. You will never see a judge and never know what legal proceedings, if any, have taken place.
Was Omar Mateen on a no fly list?
Amen to that!
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