White House slams Senate's 'cowardice' in gun votes
The Senate rejected four gun control measures Monday in a move the White House lambasted as a "shameful display of cowardice." Senators "continue to protect a loophole to allow individuals suspected of terrorism to buy a gun," press secretary Josh Earnest said on CNN on Tuesday, referring to one of the blocked measures. "Right now, according to loopholes protected by Republicans, those individuals can walk into a gun store and buy a gun."
Earnest emphasized that the Obama administration is not interested in hampering Second Amendment rights, or in preventing the military and law enforcement from being "well-armed," but rather in closing a loophole that "doesn't make any sense." "We're not suggesting that a law-abiding American citizen should not be able to buy a gun," Earnest said. "We believe our military should be well-armed. We believe our law enforcement should be well-armed. We don't believe we're going to pass a law that's going to prevent every act of gun violence."
The Senate's votes Monday came just a week after a mass shooting in Orlando killed 49 people at an LGBT nightclub. The voting was largely split along party lines. Two of the measures called for the expansion of background checks, and the other two addressed preventing terrorism watch list suspects from getting ahold of guns.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 drinks for every winter need possible
The Week Recommends Including a variety of base spirits and a range of temperatures
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
'We have made it a crime for most refugees to want the American dream'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Was the Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down?
Today's Big Question Multiple sources claim Russian anti-aircraft missile damaged passenger jet, leading to Christmas Day crash that killed at least 38
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
ABC News to pay $15M in Trump defamation suit
Speed Read The lawsuit stemmed from George Stephanopoulos' on-air assertion that Trump was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published