No. 2 Senate Republican offers alternative gun control measure

Sen. John Cornyn is offering an amendment to an appropriations bill that would block suspected terrorists from buying guns, ahead of a showdown in the Senate next week.  

Similar to a measure that failed in the Senate last year, the proposal from the Texas Republican would allow the attorney general to delay suspected terrorists from purchasing a gun for up to 72 hours while seeking a court order to stop the sale.

{mosads}Cornyn told reporters on Thursday that unlike his 2015 proposal, this measure wouldn’t include a provision cracking down on cities that don’t comply with federal immigration laws. 

A Cornyn aide said the new proposal — offered as an amendment to a funding bill for the Commerce and Justice departments and science programs — also includes a provision allowing the attorney general to temporarily delay the sale of a gun to someone who has been the subject of a terrorism investigation in the past five years. 

“I think it’s pretty reasonable, and it’s a good starting point if we’re trying to address the real threat of Islamic extremism rearing its ugly head here at home,” Cornyn said on the Senate floor Thursday. 

The Texas Republican’s move comes four days after a gunman — who was formally investigated by the FBI and spent some time on a terrorist watchlist — killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, the deadliest mass shooting in American history. 

Senators are expected to vote on Cornyn’s proposal, as well as a competing measure from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) early next week. 

Feinstein’s amendment would let the attorney general block the sale of a gun with “reasonable suspicion” that someone has or will participate in a terrorist attack. 

Though Republicans largely support Cornyn’s proposal, a few have suggested they will offer alternatives. 

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) introduced legislation on Thursday requiring the attorney general to create a list of “likely terrorists.” It would then be submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which would review the list annually and remove any Americans inadvertently included, according to a summary of the bill from his office.

The attorney general would be able to block anyone on the list from buying a gun and would be able to temporarily delay for three days anyone who is not on the list but is a “likely terrorist” from buying a gun. 

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters Thursday that she is also working on a proposal. 

But Democrats, so far, have shown little interest in supporting Cornyn or Toomey’s measures. 

“The Toomey bill it, you know, the Toomey bill could get people killed. Forcing our intelligence agencies to completely restructure the terrorist watchlist and to put these enormous delays in people arriving on it could put lives at jeopardy,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told reporters Thursday. 

Murphy led Democrats in a 15-hour talkathon in the Senate on Wednesday and into Thursday, delaying floor action while demanding votes on gun control legislation.