Senate Rejects Gun Violence Prevention Measures

The Senate Monday evening voted down four proposed gun violence prevention measures brought to the floor after last week's 15-hour filibuster by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). While the outcome was expected — versions of all four of the bills have at failed to pass the divided body before — Senate Democrats decried the lack of action. 

.@ChrisMurphyCT: "I'm mortified by today's vote, but I'm not surprised by it." #enoughhttps://t.co/WxxgmHp8qE

— CSPAN (@cspan) June 20, 2016

Two of the proposals dealt with background checks for gun sales. The Republican plan was aimed at updating and streamlining the National Instant Criminal Background Checks System, while the Democratic counter-plan would have required background checks for all gun sales, closing the so-called “gun show loophole.” The other two bills addressed gun sales to people who are on the terrorist watch list. The Democratic plan would have blocked suspected terrorists from purchasing guns, while the Republican counter-proposal would only block a gun sale to a suspected terrorist if a judge found probable cause.

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), who announced on the Senate floor she supports both the Democratic and Republican plans aimed at preventing suspected terrorists from purchasing guns, said she would be working with Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) on a compromise version. Flake tweeted out after Monday's no votes that they are expecting a vote this week.

We expect to get a vote this week on bipartisan #NoFlyNoBuy legislation I've been writing w/ @SenatorCollins and others.

— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) June 20, 2016

From Vox: 

In announcing her plan to vote for both versions, New Hampshire’s Ayotte spoke in language that reflected both Reid and McConnell’s interpretations of the Orlando shootings. She called attention to both Obama’s record on the Islamic State and the fact that a better system could have alerted the FBI to Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter, before the massacre.

"ISIS continues to plan and inspire attacks against us here at home, and we do have to take this fight to ISIS much more aggressively," she said.

... "We do have some common ground here: that terrorists should not be permitted to purchase firearms," Ayotte said. "Terrorists should not be permitted to purchase firearms."