US Sen. Charles Schumer on Sunday vowed to fight “tooth and nail” against the National Rifle Association to make it a a crime for anyone to sell guns to terrorists.
Schumer (D-NY) said he hoped the recent Paris terror attacks would give momentum to legislation first proposed on in 2007 by then-President George W. Bush.
“Right now there is a major loophole that would make your jaw drop. Under current law, suspected or known terrorists who are on a no fly list can legally purchase firearms and explosives,” Schumer said.
“We have to change this law. No-fly should mean no-buy for terrorists. Right now, amazingly, it does not.”
Schumer said the NRA has steadfastly opposed the proposal, and called the situation “a disaster waiting to happen.”
“Without limits on access to guns, terrorists could unleash mayhem at concert halls, sports stadiums, malls or somewhere else,” he said, citing some of the targets ISIS shooters and suicide bombers attacked during the Nov. 13 wave of violence that killed 130 people across Paris.
The NRA said it “does not want terrorists or dangerous people to have firearms,” and called it “appalling that anti-gun politicians are exploiting the Paris terrorist attacks to push their gun-control agenda and distract from President Obama’s failed foreign policy.”
Spokeswoman Jennifer Baker said authorities were notified anytime someone on the list tried to purchase a gun, with cops making a “case-by-case decision on the appropriate follow-up.”
“The NRA’s only objective is to ensure that Americans who are wrongly on the list are afforded their constitutional right to due process,” she added.