New York requests access to lists of terrorism to limit arms sales

El senador de Nueva York, Charles Schumer. / Afp

Obama says last weekend is a "national security issue" that Congress pass a law prohibiting people acquire weapons included in those lists

Political leaders of New York have asked the White House to allow them access to federal lists of suspected terrorists to limit arms sales.

"We must act to close the terrorist gap. We will continue to press the federal level to be implemented this measure is common sense and help us to protect citizens," said the senator from New York, Charles Schumer .

The senator participated in a meeting with other leaders, headed by the state governor, Andrew Cuomo, in which he stressed that the federal government has always given New York the tools you need to combat terrorism. "I keep hoping that now also help us to prevent terrorist suspects (included in those lists) can pass without difficulty background checks" made by the authorities to buy a gun, Schumer said.

Access to federal watch lists of suspected terrorists, which are included those which prohibits flying, would help close the "terror gap" by preventing them to buy weapons legally, according to the senator. "If the federal government does not use these lists to check the background of people looking to buy weapons, then Congress should develop a mechanism to allow states to access these lists to protect citizens," he added.

Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo joined the efforts of Senator Schumer for Congress to pass a bill to prevent dangerous terrorists can buy explosives and firearms. "The fact that terrorists can continue to purchase weapons legally is amazing and we can not allow the National Rifle Association strangling follow Washington and risking New Yorkers," said Cuomo.

If Congress refuses to act, the governor, then the federal government must take action to allow states to take action, after which he thanked the efforts of Senator Schumer is leading the Congress said.

A "national security issue"

This week, the governor of Connecticut, Dannell Malloy, took the first steps to become the first state in the country to ban the sale of weapons to individuals on federal terrorism lists.

US President Barack Obama said last weekend that is a "national security issue" that Congress pass a law prohibiting acquire weapons to persons on those lists.

However, different voices among the Republican ranks believe that a veto of these characteristics may be too broad and deprive some citizens of their constitutional right to bear firearms.

The White House attributes much of the blame for the inaction of Congress to power of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and donations to many political campaigns, to which Obama plans to use his executive power to expand gun control.

The president has acknowledged several times that his biggest frustration as president has been the failure of their efforts to achieve greater control over the sale and possession of weapons in the country, a debate was reopened this month after the massacre of San Bernardino.

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