There is a dangerous gap in federal law that allows persons on the FBI's terror watch list to freely purchase guns and other deadly weapons. It's called the Terror Gap, and it's why today, I'm supporting the Congressional testimony of Sandy Jo MacArthur, assistant Chief at the LAPD, as she makes the case, on behalf of law enforcement officers nationwide, that it's time to close the Terror Gap.
Today we want to send a simple, common sense message: If someone is too dangerous to fly on a plane in this country, that person is too dangerous to buy explosives and guns.
Our national and local law enforcement officers work day and night, steadfastly safeguarding our communities. We owe it to them to meet their brave commitment with the tools they need to fight the relentless efforts of terrorists to inflict harm.
The Terror Gap refers to existing federal law that allows suspected terrorists to purchase firearms and explosives, even if the FBI has placed him or her on its terror watch list. That's because even though the FBI administers the federal background check for all gun purchases and explosives permits, the FBI cannot stop the sale to a suspected terrorist.
So even though the FBI knows every single time a person on the terror watch list tries to buy a gun or explosives, its agents must stand by, powerless, as the suspected terrorist purchases the gun. In fact, they were forced to stand by 865 times in five years - an average of over three times per week - as terror suspects applied to buy guns and explosives.
The consequences of this gap in the law are real. Every day, Los Angeles and every city and town in America lives with the constant threat of terrorism:
1999: The government thwarts a plan to blow up Los Angeles International Airport and other targets on New Years Eve.
2001:The United States suffers the worst terrorist attack in history.
2002:The government stops an Al Qaeda plot to fly a plane into the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles, the tallest building on the West Coast. This was to be part of a "second wave" attack that was to come after the attacks of September 11th.
2003:Terrorist Hesham Hadayet shoots and kills two innocent bystanders and wounds four others in the Los Angeles airport before being killed himself. Hadayet had purchased a gun that he used in the attack
2005:Terrorists plan to bomb several California military bases, synagogues and an Israeli consulate. They intended to kill U.S. military personnel.
2009:A man under investigation for ties to terrorism opens fire on Fort Hood military base, killing 13 soldiers and wounding 30 others.
We must use every tool at our disposal to prevent these devastating acts of violence. Our government has strengthened its anti-terrorism intelligence and created a terror watch list to stop the most dangerous terror suspects from boarding our planes.
But we still can't stop terrorists from buying explosives, assault rifles, and high-powered handguns.
That can change. The Terror Gap is as dangerous and nonsensical as it is easy to fix.
Legislation to close this Terror Gap is pending now in Congress. To learn more, go to www.terrorgap.org.The legislation would give the FBI discretion to stop a terror suspect from purchasing guns. It also has safeguards for people who are misidentified as terror suspects. It's important that we give our national and local law enforcement officers every tool possible so that they can do their job and keep us safe.
This is an issue for cities and towns across America. That's why I joined the bipartisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns and support legislation to close this Terror Gap.
Join me in asking Congress to close the Terror Gap today: