U.S. Senate Rejects All 4 Gun Control Measures After Orlando Shooting

The U.S. Senate rejected all four gun control measures after the Orlando shooting, including banning sales to people on federal terrorist watch list.

Gun control found its way back into national conversation following the tragic events in Orlando, and the U.S. Senate was once again called upon to take action. Omar Mateen, who appeared on the terrorist watch list and was questioned twice by the FBI (in 2013 and 2014) was still able to purchase the semi-automatic weapon used to kill 49 earlier in June.

Democrats and Republicans gathered on Monday to vote on four amendments that would have made it more difficult for someone like him to purchases guns after Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, staged a filibuster last week lasting nearly 15 hours.

Here’s what they voted on:

  • Dianne Feinstein from Calif. Proposed a measure, which is backed by the White House, that would give the Justice Department the authority to block anyone who had appeared on the federal terrorist watch lists within the last five years from purchasing a got. It would also make it easier for government officials stop a gun purchase based on "reasonable belief" rather than "probable cause" that the individual would use the weapon to commit a terrorist act.
  • A measure from Dem. Chris Murphy of Conn. would have closed the "gun show loophole" by imposing mandatory background checks on all gun purchases, including those made on the Internet, and would expand the background check database.
  • Republican John Cornyn from Tex. proposed a measure that would require law enforcement to be alerted each time an individual on the suspected terror list tried to be a gun from a licensed dealer. If they’ve been investigated for terrorism within the past five year, the attorney general would have the ability to hold the sale for up to three days while the sale is reviewed by court. Of course, they’d have to show probable cause that the individual is a suspected or known terrorist.
  • Iowan senator Chuck Grassley wanted to clarify what it means for a person to be too mentally ill to purchase a gun, and the accused would have an opportunity to challenge such a decision.

All four measure were blocked Monday night, prompting a statement from Hillary Clinton in which she simply said "enough" and included the names of the 49 Orlando shooting victims who died. 

Hillary Clinton Statement on Senate Republicans' Refusal to Act on Gun Violence

“Enough." pic.twitter.com/Z5PwkIMwCT

President Barack Obama also wasn't happy with the decision, tweeting that solving the gun violence problem requires more than mere moments of silence:

For many, the results are unsurprising, as similar legislation was rejected just after the Sandy Hook shooting as well as the events in San Bernardino last December. 

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