Thread: Trump, NRA to Meet to Discuss 'No Fly, No Buy' Anti-Terrorism Gun Proposal

JUNE 15 2016, 12:55 PM ET

Trump, NRA to Meet to Discuss 'No Fly, No Buy' Anti-Terrorism Gun Proposal

by HALIMAH ABDULLAH

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he plans to meet with officials from the National Rifle Association about preventing people on the "no fly" federal terrorist watch list from buying firearms.

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Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump

I will be meeting with the NRA, who has endorsed me, about not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no fly list, to buy guns.
6:50 AM - 15 Jun 2016

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Trump's announcement about his meeting with the powerful gun lobby comes amid growing congressional debate in the wake of the deadly shooting rampage at an Orlando nightclub by a lone gunman who officials say because radicalized over the Internet and sympathized with ISIS. At least 49 people were killed and 50 were injured on Sunday when the gunman, Omar Mateen, opened fire on a gathering at Pulse, a gay nightclub.

Federal investigators looked into Mateen's possible terrorism ties, but later removed him from the FBI's watch list based on their assessment about his level of risk. However, his inclusion on that watch list wouldn't have prevented him from legally purchasing a gun.

That fact has many Democrats up in arms and prompted Trump, who throughout his campaign has strictly opposed tightening the nation's gun laws, to address the issue.

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NRA
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Happy to meet @realdonaldtrump. Our position is no guns for terrorists—period. Due process & right to self-defense for law-abiding Americans
8:58 AM - 15 Jun 2016

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Trump has already previously backed a no-buy list, which the NRA has previously opposed out of concerns that Americans who were wrongfully placed on the list aren't stripped of their constitutional rights to due process.

"The NRA's position on this issue has not changed," Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action said in a statement on Wednesday."The NRA believes that terrorists should not be allowed to purchase or possess firearms, period. Anyone on a terror watch list who tries to buy a gun should be thoroughly investigated by the FBI and the sale delayed while the investigation is ongoing. If an investigation uncovers evidence of terrorist activity or involvement, the government should be allowed to immediately go to court, block the sale, and arrest the terrorist."

The NRA also wants to ensure that due process protections are put place to remove law-abiding Americans wrongly put on a watch list to be removed.

Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, has introduced a bill to require that FBI investigators be notified whenever anyone ever investigated for terrorism buys a gun.

"We're not saying: don't sell guns to someone just because they were investigated," Nelson said in a statement. "But having a system in place that alerts the FBI if someone they once investigated is suddenly trying to purchase multiple assault weapons is just common sense."

Senate Democrats filibustered on the Senate floor Other lawmakers have taken to the chamber floors and held press conferences to criticize what they see as a dangerous loophole in the nation's efforts to combat terrorism.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Massachusetts , a former Marine who served in Iraq, feels the "no fly, no buy" push can gain traction in Congress. He was one of a number of lawmakers who walked off the House floor Monday during the moment of silence for the Orlando shooting victims out of frustration over congressional inaction on gun policy reform.

"I think it's the first step in the right direction," Moulton told NBC News. "But I think an assault weapons ban is necessary as well. I've already talked to some Republicans who think an assault weapons ban is reasonable, that we need to do this but 'no fly, no buy" will be a good first step.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...rorism-n593016

Congressman John Garamendi Plans to Reintroduce ‘No Fly, No Buy’ Bill

I oppose this. However, I believe that if you are on a No Fly or Terror Watch List that there should be a notification to the either the FBI and/or the local police by the gun seller to alert them of a weapons purchase. Of course, if they aren't on a No Fly or Terror Watch List like the Orlando Shooter, the San Bernardino Shooter, the Fort Hood Shooter, or the Boston Marathon Bombers, then what difference does it make? It only matters if you're on the list and none of these terrorists were even on the list, if they had been on a list, they had been removed, "scrubbed", and then what difference does it make?

I know on paper, it sounds good. But on the ground, it makes no difference if the federal government is scrubbing real terrorists from the lists and only leaving misidentified Americans on the list because of some Arabic root in their last name or something like that. There are all types of wrong-doing on this No Fly List, hundreds maybe thousands of innocent Americans who can't fly because they are wrongfully placed on a No Fly List.

But to have a notification to FBI or local police of a gun sale to anyone who was on the Terror Watch List, a different list than the No Fly List, I'm in total support for that, even when you were on the Terror Watch List and were scrubbed for some reason, the FBI and local police still need to be notified so they can look into it, resume surveillance or at least have their eyes open to something going on.

More info @

People on FBI terror watch list can buy guns legally in U.S.

NRA Statement on Terror Watchlists

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Fairfax, Va.— The executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, Chris W. Cox, released the following statement regarding terror watchlists:

We are happy to meet with Donald Trump. The NRA's position on this issue has not changed. The NRA believes that terrorists should not be allowed to purchase or possess firearms, period. Anyone on a terror watchlist who tries to buy a gun should be thoroughly investigated by the FBI and the sale delayed while the investigation is ongoing. If an investigation uncovers evidence of terrorist activity or involvement, the government should be allowed to immediately go to court, block the sale, and arrest the terrorist. At the same time, due process protections should be put in place that allow law-abiding Americans who are wrongly put on a watchlist to be removed. That has been the position of Sen. John Cornyn (R.-Tex.) and a majority of the U.S. Senate.

Sadly, President Obama and his allies would prefer to play politics with this issue.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/2016...ror-watchlists

I support the NRA position. Sounds very reasonable to me. Maybe Trump can help them advance a bill like Cornyn's to pass.

DOJ overrules FBI on gun sales debate, says no-fly list can be used for ban

According to this article, what I thought should be the case is the case:

Under the current system, if someone on the list attempts to buy a firearm, the sale isn’t automatically stopped — but agents are alerted and use that information to help their investigation.

Mr. Comey testified to Congress last year that if a sale is stopped altogether, it could tip off someone to the FBI’s investigation.

http://www.alipac.us/f9/doj-overrule...ed-ban-333802/

So the current law is really not the problem. The problem is a terrorist was removed from the Terror Watch List by the FBI. An improvement would be to continue notifying the FBI for several years, some long period of time, after you're removed from the Terror Watch List. Your rights aren't violated, you can still purchase the weapons, but the FBI would be notified and then able to investigate, conduct surveillance, notify local police, or all of the above.