Democrats call for tougher gun laws to bolster national security
US Senate Democrats have called for tougher gun control laws in America to bolster the country’s national security in the wake of the recent mass shooting in Orlando, Florida.
On June 12, a gunman armed with an assault rifle killed 49 people and injured 53 others at a crowded nightclub in Orlando before he was killed by police. The 29-year-old gunman, named as Omar Mateen, was an American-born US citizen.
He was investigated by US officials for possible links to Daesh terrorist group and subsequently cleared.
The revelations prompted Democrats to call for regulations to expand background checks and prevent people on terrorism watch lists from buying guns in the US.
On Monday, votes will be held in the Senate on four measures. Many Republicans and a small group of Democrats are against gun restrictions.
"Every senator is now going to have to say, whether they're for terrorists getting guns or against terrorists getting guns," Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer said.
Ed Markey, also a Democrat Senator, said "the terrorists that we need to fear are not on the streets of Aleppo, or Mosul or Fallujah. They're on the streets of the United States and they will have guns unless we pass tough laws."
US President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson have called for gun control reforms following the Orlando massacre.
The powerful National Rifle Association of America and Republicans, however, have so far opposed any measures for limiting gun laws.
Republicans claim that new gun laws will not necessarily keep guns out of the hands of people intent on doing harm.
“This is not a gun control issue. This is a terrorism issue," Senator Ted Cruz said.
Democratic Representative Jim Himes said he was not hopeful about any reform in the gun legislation.
"The reason you won't see a compromise anytime soon is because Congress actually acting in the wake of Orlando would be a tacit admission on the other side that guns had something to do with what happened in Orlando as opposed to ISIS (Daesh)," Himes added.
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