New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg expressed outrage over a federal loophole that allows people on the FBI terrorist watch list to legally purchase guns and explosives.  Being “known or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activity” is currently not a reason for someone to be denied purchasing weapons or chemicals that could make bombs.

The Government Accountability Office said that individuals on the terrorist watchlist attempted to purchase potentially legal equipment 1,228 times in the past six years.  Background checks were ran on all of these individuals and they were easily identified as being on the terrorist watchlist.  Out of the 1,228 potential terrorists that attempted to legally purchase guns and explosives 1,119 of them were allowed to.  The statistics show that this is not something that rarely happens.  If terrorists are allowed to legally purchase weapons in this country, then it gives them easy access to anything they need to pull off a terrorist attack.

The National Rifle Association and gun lobby are adamantly opposed to the bill that would close this “terror gap,” H.R. 2159.  They argue that even though they are potential terrorists, they have a right to purchase weapons and deadly explosives.  Republicans are backing the NRA and attempting to block the legislation.