by Nick Castele
Update 6/15/16: A spokeswoman for Portman's office said today that the senator would vote the same way he did in December if presented again with the same proposals: for Cornyn's measure and against Feinstein's. This comes a day after Portman told reporters, “I hope that the entire Senate votes to say that if you’re on the terrorist watch list—not just the no-fly list, which is a much more targeted list—that you should not be able to buy a weapon.”
Original story below:
U.S. Senator Rob Portman said he supports prohibiting gun sales to those on the federal government’s watch list of people suspected of involvement in terrorism.
His comments come days after the mass shooting that left dozens dead in Orlando.
Portman said there should also be a “due process” in place to determine whether people are on the watch list appropriately.
“I hope that the entire Senate votes to say that if you’re on the terrorist watch list—not just the no-fly list, which is a much more targeted list—that you should not be able to buy a weapon,” Portman said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.
Last year Portman voted “no” when a similar measure was proposed by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein as an amendment to an Obamacare repeal bill.
Portman supported an amendment sponsored by Republican Sen. John Cornyn to impose a 72-hour delay on gun sales to those suspected of terrorism. A judge would have had the power to prohibit that sale outright.
