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Portman and the Partisan Gun Amendments
By: M.L. Schultze | Ohio Public Radio • WKSU
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Ohio’s U.S. Sen. Rob Portman says he has not changed his position and continues to believe Republicans came up with the best plan to keep terrorists from getting guns.
Portman said this week he believes there can be a bill both Republicans and Democrats would support to block people on the terrorist-watch and no-fly lists from legally buying guns. The Senate turned down two proposals to do that in December.
One amendment, sponsored by Democrat Dianne Feinstein, included a provision for someone to appeal to the Justice Department if they felt they shouldn’t be on the lists. The amendment from Republican John Cornyn would delay the sale for 72 hours while a judge reviewed the denial. Cornyn’s amendment also would have punished sanctuary cities — a poison pill for Democrats.
Portman’s press secretary, Emily Benavides, said in a statement that “Rob believes the Cornyn plan is tougher than Feinstein when it comes to preventing terror suspects from being able to purchase a firearm, “ and if the same two amendments were offered again, he’d vote the same way.”
In an earlier conference call, Portman mischaracterized Feinstein’s bill in explaining another reason he opposed it, saying it applied only to the smaller no-fly list.