Obama: ‘The Senate Failed The American People’

President Barack Obama criticized the Senate on June 21, saying that they “failed” to protect their constituents after blocking gun control legislation that was introduced following one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.

“Gun violence requires more than moments of silence,” Obama tweeted. “It requires action. In failing that test, the Senate failed the American people.”

After 49 people died and 53 more were injured in the deadly shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, Senate Democrats and several Republicans joined forces to push for bipartisan gun control reform. They introduced four measures – two sponsored by Democrats and two by Republicans – all of which lawmakers promptly voted down on June 20, notes USA Today.

The two Republican bills would have authorized additional funding for national background checks and created a judicial review process that would prevent those on FBI terrorism watch lists from purchasing guns while allowing them to appeal if they are placed on the list in error.

“No one wants a terrorist to be able to buy guns or explosives,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said, according to USA Today. “No one. Instead of using this as an opportunity to push a partisan agenda or craft the next 30-second campaign ad, colleagues like [Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who sponsored the GOP bills] are pursuing real solutions that can help keep Americans safer from the threat of terrorism.”

The two Democratic bills would have required background checks for private gun sales and allowed the Justice Department to ban people on the FBI terrorism watch lists from buying firearms.

The vote remained divisive on both sides, with both Democrats and Republicans saying that the other party had ulterior motives for their bills.

“These are amendments to divert attention from real legislation,” said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. “Why? So Republicans [can] say ‘Hey, look, we tried,’ and all the time their cheerleaders, their bosses at the NRA, are cheering.”

The Senate voted down similar measures in late 2015, although there has been talk of bipartisan support for a bill preventing those on the no-fly list from purchasing firearms, notes Reuters.

According to White House spokesman Josh Earnest, Obama is “profoundly frustrated” and prepared to step forward and do everything in his executive power to pass “common sense” gun control laws, reports Newsmax.

“Innocent lives are cut short because we haven’t implemented common sense gun safety measures,” Earnest added.

Sources: President Obama/Twitter, USA Today, Reuters, Newsmax / Photo Credit: The White House/Flickr