Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Reform and Improvement Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. KILDEE. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is a Homeland Security bill. We have a number of these bills coming to the floor today. But it is hard to ignore the fact that there is a glaring weakness in what is being brought here to the floor when it comes to protecting the American people.

Right now at this very moment an individual who is on the FBI terrorist watch list could walk into any gun store and purchase the weapon of their choice. The American people understand this makes absolutely no sense.

In the last 11 years, 2,000 people who are on the terrorist watch list have gone in to purchase weapons and 91 percent of them have walked away with the weapon of their choice. Inexplicably, a piece of legislation authorized by Republican Congressman Peter King is ready for this House to act. It would close this ridiculous loophole.

When I have talked to people back home about this, they expect that this is already law. They almost have to have it pointed out to them that, no, this is actually not the case. A person on the terrorist watch list can go to a gun store and purchase a weapon.

If we are serious about protecting the safety of the American people, it would seem that the commonsense thing to do would be to take up Representative King's legislation and close this dangerous loophole.

So we are coming to the floor with important bills. I don't deny that. Right now we have in our hands the ability to act to take guns out of the hands of people who are on the terrorist watch list. If you can't be trusted to fly, you certainly shouldn't be trusted to walk in and just get a weapon of your choice.

Because of this body's failure to bring up this important legislation, I as a Member of Congress can't sit idly by.

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