Culture

The US Senate Has Rejected A Plan To Stop Selling Guns To Suspected Terrorists

FFS.

by Osman Faruqi  21 June 2016

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One week after the mass shooting in Orlando that left 49 dead, the United States Senate has voted down a raft of measures designed to tighten restrictions on who can purchase a firearm.

A Democrat proposal that would have prevented suspected terrorists from accessing firearms and explosives was defeated 53-47 (the proposal needed 60 votes to proceed), with all but two Republicans voting it down. A Republican bill that would have allowed authorities to delay the sale of guns for three days or more to a terrorism suspect was also defeated 53-47.

Democrat lawmakers are furious about the defeat of the potential laws.”The power of the gun lobby over certain members of the Senate seems boundless,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein, the author of one of the bills.

The proposed laws directly relate to the Orlando shooting because the perpetrator, Omar Mateen, was able to purchase two firearms despite being on the terrorist watchlist.

Last week Vice President Joe Biden called for a ban on all assault rifles, like the AR-15 model used in the Orlando attack. Hillary Clinton has also backed a ban on assault rifles while Donald Trump has issued a number of confusing statements on gun control. He tweeted that he would be meeting with the National Rifle Association (NRA) to discuss a ban on terror suspects from buying firearms, before backing away from that position entirely.

A number of US politicians have received significant donations from the gun lobby, leading to accusations that their vote has effectively been bought by the NRA.

Dear America, once again your friends in Australia are begging you: please, please implement gun control.