No U.S. law explicitly bars a known or suspected terrorist from buy firearms or explosives, and Congress needs to do something about that, Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday.
The New York Democrat called on fellow lawmakers to close the "Terror Gap" by passing the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015.
The proposed law would give the federal government the legal means to stop the sale of weapons and explosives to individuals on the terrorist watch list, which includes the no-fly list, he said.
Currently, the government cannot stop to those on the list unless they are disqualified by other criteria, such as being a convicted felon or a domestic abuser, he said.
"With the threat of domestic terrorism once again at our doorstep, it's critical that we stand up to the NRA and prevent suspected terrorists from getting their hands on weapons, Schumer said.
The national database used for background checks for gun purchases doesn't include data from the terrorist watch list, he noted.
Individuals on the consolidated terrorist watch list cleared background checks for gun transactions 455 out of 486 times in 2013 and 2014, said Schumer, citing information prepared by the federal Government Accountability Office.
