by The Brady Campaign released this highly indignant sounding press release condemning the House Judiciary Committee for preserving Americans’ right to the due process of law.
Brady Campaign Blasts Judiciary Committee’s Vote Against Amendment to Prevent Gun Sales to Terrorists
May 12, 2011Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Judiciary Committee voted down an amendment to the Patriot Act, offered by Rep. Mike Quigley (Ill.-10), to close the “Terror Gap” by giving the Attorney General authority to prevent gun sales to known or suspected terrorists. The Committee voted 21-11 against the Quigley Amendment on a party-line vote. Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, issued this statement in response to the Committee’s action:
“On the day after two suspected terrorists seeking to buy guns and explosives were arrested in New York City, the House Judiciary Committee, incredibly, voted against an amendment to give the Attorney General the authority to prevent known or suspected terrorists from buying guns. Since 2004, over 1,300 persons on the terrorist watch list have been allowed to purchase firearms or explosives because federal law is so weak that being a known or suspected terrorist is not itself sufficient to prohibit someone from buying guns. The Quigley Amendment would have closed this dangerous ‘Terror Gap.”
Osama bin Laden is dead, but the war on terror is far from over. How can the Congress pretend to be serious about protecting the nation from terrorism, while voting to allow known terrorists to buy guns? The shadow of the gun lobby falls heavily over this disgraceful vote. Is there now a ‘gun exception’ to the war on terror?”
