Gabrielle Giffords & Capt. Mark Kelly Applaud President Obama’s Call On Congress To Pass Bipartisan Legislation Closing the ‘Terror Gap’ That Lets Suspected Terrorists Legally Purchase Guns
December 6, 2015 – Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and retired Navy combat veteran and NASA astronaut Capt. Mark Kelly, the Co-Founders of Americans for Responsible Solutions, released the below statement tonight following President Obama’s address to the nation in the wake of Wednesday’s tragedy in San Bernardino, California.
Giffords and Kelly, who met with President Obama in the Oval Office on Friday , applauded the President for calling on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation closing the ‘terror gap,’ which allows suspected terrorists to pass a gun background check and legally purchase a gun. The need for bipartisan action closing the ‘terror gap’ was among the topics discussed in Friday’s meeting with President Obama.
On Thursday, the United States Senate had blocked a proposal to close the ‘terror gap.’
“Faced with the growing threat of active shooter terrorism here at home, Congress has done something remarkable: nothing at all. Time and time again, Congress has done what the gun lobby has asked: protect the loophole that lets suspected terrorists legally buy guns in our country,” said Congresswoman Giffords and Captain Kelly. “Allowing suspected terrorists to walk into a firearms dealer, pass a background check, and walk out with a gun makes absolutely no sense. Our Attorney General should have the authority to stop suspected terrorists from buying guns. It’s time for our leaders in Washington to stop putting the gun lobby’s priorities ahead of public safety, do the responsible thing, and pass the bipartisan proposal that would help keep guns out of the hands of terrorists.”
BACKGROUND ON THE TERROR GAP
Loopholes in Federal Law Enables Individuals on the FBI’s Terror Watch List to Legally Buy Guns. Current federal law prohibits the purchase and posessions of firearms by people who fall within nine categories, including felons, domestic abusers, and individuals who have been adjudicated mentally ill. But federal law does not currently prohibit individuals on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s terror watch list from passing a background check and legally buying guns. Between February 2004 and December 2014, individuals on the terror watch list were able to buy firearms 2,043 times. [Government Accountability Office]
NRA Members, Gun Owners Support Closing the Terror Gap. According to research from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, 82 percent of NRA members and 86 percent of gun owners support closing the terror gap. [New England Journal of Medicine]
Support for Closing the Terror Gap Extends Across Party Lines – Includes Former President George W. Bush. Those who have supported closing these loopholes include: President George W. Bush, Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, 9/11 Commission Chairman Thomas Kean, Former New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and the International Association of Police Chiefs.