Rep. Peter
King, New York Republican, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California
Democrat, have teamed up to press a new law that would deny the sale of
guns and explosives to terrorists -- both known and suspected.
But some are worrying: What exactly constitutes a suspect?
The basic
idea behind the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists
Act is to keep firearms out of the hands of the same people who are
deemed too dangerous to board plans in the United States, and this bill
gives the attorney general the power to do just that, The Blaze
reported. If passed, the attorney general would be able to halt
transfers and sales of firearms and other explosives to those "known or
suspected" terrorists, so long as there is "reasonable belief that the
prospective transferee may use a firearm in connection with terrorism,"
The Blaze said.
Mr. King and Ms. Feinstein see the idea as common sense.
"Federal
law already prohibits nine categories of dangerous persons from
purchasing or possessing firearms, including the mentally ill and
criminals," Mr. King said, The Blaze reported. "Yet, after almost 14
years, we still allow suspected terrorists the ability to purchase
firearms. It's time for common sense to prevail before it's too late."
Both Ms.
Feinstein and Mr. King asserted that those on terror watch lists were
still able to buy guns in 2013 and 2014 about 93 percent of the time.
But Second
Amendment watchers say the proposal is a breeding ground of government
abuse. One complaint: The text of the bill defines suspected terrorists
as anyone who is "appropriately suspected," a term that some say is ripe
for watery interpretation, The Blaze said.
The bill has 11 Democratic cosponsors in the Senate and 14 Democratic cosponsors in the House. Mr. King is the sole Republican.
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