Congressman Dan Kildee: Congress Should Protect American People and Block Terrorist Suspects from Buying Deadly Weapons
Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) today spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives remembering the victims of Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando and calling for immediate action by Congress to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of suspected terrorists. Congressman Kildee’s remarks can be viewed here.
On the floor, Congressman Kildee renewed his call for Speaker Paul Ryan (WI-01) to take up H.R. 1076, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015, which would prevent anyone currently on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Terror Watch List from legally purchasing a weapon. The bill was introduced by Republican Peter King (NY-02) and has bipartisan support. Congressman Kildee had previously pushed for a vote on the bill in December 2015, but House Republican leadership blocked a vote on the bill 11 times.
“I am horrified by the brutal act of terror and hate that killed 49 people, including Tevin Crosby, a 25-year-old man from my district, and wounded many more,” Congressman Kildee said. “My heart aches for the victims, their families and the Orlando community. As our country works to heal from the deadliest mass shooting in our history, Congress must do its job and focus on strong, smart national security that keeps our country safe.
“Congress can act immediately to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of suspected terrorists,” Congressman Kildee continued. “It should be a no-brainer – if you are on the FBI’s Terror Watch List and not able to fly on a plane, you shouldn’t be able to buy a gun. The mass shooter in Orlando was once on a Terror Watch List – and was able to legally purchase the three weapons, including an AR-15 assault rifle, that he used to kill 49 people.”
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, in the last 11 years, over 2,000 suspects on the FBI’s Terror Watch List have tried to legally buy guns in the U.S. 91 percent of those terror suspects have succeeded in walking away with a deadly weapon.
Sunday’s shooting at Pulse, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) nightclub in Orlando, took the lives of 49 people, including Tevin Crosby, a 25-year-old Saginaw Township business owner. 53 people were also injured in the attack, which is now the largest mass shooting in U.S. history.
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