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US Senate rejects gun control bills US gun control: Senate rejects bills
(about 5 hours later)
The US Senate has thrown out four gun control bills in the aftermath of the Orlando night club massacre, in a move that was expected. The US Senate has rejected plans to tighten gun controls, including the restriction of weapons sales to people on terrorism watch lists.
The votes came after one Democrat took the House floor last week for nearly 15 hours to demand action on gun control. Four proposals were brought before the Senate after 49 people died in an attack on a gay nightclub in Florida.
Though partisan differences plague debate in the Republican-dominated chamber, the bills reflect a shift in American sentiment on guns. But Democratic and Republican senators voted along party lines, blocking each other's bills.
Forty-nine people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Senators strongly disagreed about how to prevent more attacks happening in future.
During the shooting, gunman Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to the self-styled Islamic State group, which is intensely hostile to homosexuality. Witnesses said Mateen had been a patron at the nightclub several times. Republican Senator John Cornyn said: "Our colleagues want to make this about gun control when what we should be making this about is the fight to eliminate the Islamic extremism that is the root cause for what happened in Orlando. My colleagues in many ways want to treat the symptoms without fighting the disease."
The Senate voted down legislation that would have closed a gun show loophole and expanded background checks. For her part, Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski said: "Why is it we would go through such incredible scrutiny to board an airplane to protect me against terrorist, and yet we have no scrutiny of the people on the terrorist watch list to be able to buy a gun?"
Right to bear arms
Republicans and members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) complained that the bills put forward by the Democrats violated the constitutional right to bear arms. They are concerned that without enough "due process", law-abiding Americans wrongly named on watch lists would be prevented from buying weapons.
Democrats said the Republican proposals were too weak.
Eight days before the Senate's vote on Monday, Omar Mateen shot 49 people dead and injured many more in the worst mass shooting in recent US history.
Mateen was a US citizen who had been known to the FBI since 2013 but was not on a terrorism watch list.
In the US, gun dealers are licensed by the federal government. People can be prevented from buying weapons if they have mental health problems or are guilty of serious crimes, but there is no specific prohibition for those on the terrorism watch list.
There are currently about one million people on that list.
There are other ways to buy guns - at gun shows, or from a private vendor online - that do not require any background checks.
The Senate voted down legislation that would have closed a gun show loophole and expanded background checks to cover private sales.
Also rejected wereAlso rejected were
Filibuster
Last week one Democrat took the House floor for nearly 15 hours to demand action on gun control, after the attack on Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, held the floor on Wednesday night in a "filibuster," a tactic that enables lawmakers to block proceedings.Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, held the floor on Wednesday night in a "filibuster," a tactic that enables lawmakers to block proceedings.
The filibuster came to an end when Republicans eventually pledged to hold votes on measures for expanding background checks and preventing people on terrorism watch lists to obtain guns. The filibuster came to an end when Republicans eventually pledged to hold votes on measures for expanding background checks and preventing people on terrorism watch lists from obtaining guns.
Senator Susan Collins from Maine is working with Senator Kelly Ayotte, both Republicans, on a compromise bill to prohibit the sale of guns to terrorism suspects on the no-fly list, and create an appeals process for people who might be on the list by mistake. After Monday's vote, Mr Murphy said the Senate's inaction compounded the suffering of victims of gun violence.
Mrs Ayotte also said she would support the Democratic terrorism watch list amendment. He said: "I believe that for all of the scarring psychological harm that comes with losing a loved one or a neighbour, more harm is piled on when you find out that the people that you elected to run your country just don't care. It hurts something awful when you lose someone, but it gets worse when your leaders are silent, are totally silent, in the face of your personal horror."
Republicans are concerned that without enough "due process", law-abiding Americans wrongly named on watch lists would be prevented from buying weapons. Though partisan differences plague debate in the Republican-dominated chamber, the bills reflect a shift in American sentiment on guns.
Democrats say the bar is set too high on the bill from Senator John Cornyn of Texas, which would require law enforcement to make a case within three days that someone had committed terroristic activity. Senator Susan Collins from Maine is working with fellow Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte on a compromise bill to prohibit the sale of guns to terrorism suspects on the no-fly list, and to create an appeals process for people who might be on the list by mistake.
Mr Cornyn's bill is supported by the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), which has significant influence on many lawmakers, especially Republicans.
The senator said Mrs Collin's bill does not have enough protections for people mistakenly on the no-fly list.
"The Cornyn bill, which is the last version that I saw, creates a really impossible hurdle for the FBI," said Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, speaking on CNN.
He said the measure would simply drive suspects to buy guns off the internet instead.
Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who criticised the Democrats' filibuster, has called Mr Cornyn's bill a "serious solution".