WASHINGTON ― The weekend bombings in New York and New Jersey offer further evidence that the nation needs to close a loophole that lets people listed on the terrorism watch list buy guns and explosives, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Monday.
“Right now, as we speak, there is a loophole that allows potential FBI terror suspects to legally purchase guns and explosives,” Reid (D-Nev.) said in Senate floor remarks, arguing that it would be “really, really easy” for the Senate to close that loophole. “A person with suspected ties to terrorism can walk into a store now and buy all the explosives, all the guns, all the ammunition they want.”
Reid’s remarks followed the arrest in New Jersey of a man wanted in the bombings after a gunfight with police.
Reid pointed to the bombings as reason to pass legislation known as the No Fly No Buy bill that would bar people on the FBI’s terrorism watch list and the government’s no-fly list from buying weapons. Although there was bipartisan support for the bill, Republicans defeated it, saying it would rob gun buyers of their Second Amendment rights.
Officials have not said how the bombing suspect, Ahmad Khan Rahami, acquired the materials to make his explosives or the gun police say he used to fire on officers. It’s not clear that the No Fly No Buy bill would have had any impact on his ability to do so, or whether he was even on the government’s radar.
But Reid said that was beside the point.
“One thing is for sure. It would prevent the next attack,” Reid said.
“We know this loophole shouldn’t exist. We know terror suspects shouldn’t be giving a free pass to buy all the guns and all the explosives that they want,” Reid said. “And we know that the American people want this loophole closed.”
With the November elections looming and the measure having been defeated already, it was unlikely that GOP leaders would bring it back.
But by attempting to stir new interest in the issue, Reid could be trying to give voters something else to think about when they go to the polls.