Support Growing in Congress for Rep. Zeldin's Protect America Act to Prevent Terrorists from Purchasing Firearms or Explosives

Press Release

Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced growing support for his Protect America Act (H.R. 4237), which he introduced on December 11, 2015, in order to prevent terrorists from purchasing firearms or explosives while protecting the due process rights of Americans.

Congressman Zeldin said, "My Protect America Act, H.R. 4237, which will help prevent terrorists from purchasing firearms or explosives while protecting the due process rights of Americans, is receiving growing support in Congress, with several new cosponsors now in the House. I will continue working to raise awareness and support of this bill, gathering even more cosponsors, so that the House will act to bring this critical bill to the House floor to help keep Americans safe."

By meeting the evidentiary standard of probable cause, the Protect America Act would grant the Attorney General the authority to deny firearms and explosives to individuals who are engaged in terrorist activities. Affording a hearing, notice and right to counsel for the purchaser, the bill also protects the due process rights of Americans. Additionally, the proposal directs the Attorney General to review and verify the terrorist watch list and no fly list to remove the names of innocent Americans who are not connected to terrorism.

"While we frequently hear and read about terrorist attacks abroad, we have a very real, ongoing homeland security threat here within our own border, which is why we must remain ever vigilant in the fight against terror. The Orlando shooter who killed 49 innocent Americans was a radicalized Islamic terrorist pledging allegiance to ISIS and had a violent hatred toward the LGBT community. In this situation, there is a whole lot more going on here beyond a gun control debate and attempts by members of Congress to narrow this issue so glaringly is alienating the rest of our country who understand the bigger picture. Both Democrats and Republicans should join together to help pass my bill to keep firearms and explosives out of terrorists hands. We also must unite to ID the threat of radical Islam because you cannot eliminate a threat that you are not willing to identify," Congressman Zeldin concluded.

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