Flake bill would ban gun sales for domestic abusers

PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) co-sponsored a bill geared to banning the sale of firearms to people who have been convicted of domestic violence crimes on Tuesday.

The bill, the Domestic Violence Loophole Closure Act, is meant to clarify a bill already on the books that says the military must report misdemeanors of domestic violence to a database used for background checks.

Flake, along with Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the bill on the Senate floor. The bill makes clear the military would be required to report offenders.

Sen. Flake explains why he thinks the bill he is introducing with Sen. Heinrich to close a gun loophole is necessary following the Texas church shooting https://t.co/AByDYcIC4P

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 8, 2017

Since 2007, the military has reported just one conviction of misdemeanor domestic violence.

The proposed legislation comes days after a gunman shot and killed 26 people in Sutherland Springs, Texas. The man, Devin Patrick Kelley, was a domestic violence offender but was allowed to purchase a rifle used in the crime. The military failed to report his offense.

Flake and Donald Trump Jr. battled on Twitter over the bill on Tuesday.

If being proactive means closing the #DomesticViolenceLoophole exploited by the #SutherlandSprings Texas shooter, you're right. https://t.co/8S89dgaTuK

— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) November 7, 2017

Wrong. Govt employees, like you, failed to do their job. He did a year for abuse & fracturing his kids skull. Should not have had a gun! https://t.co/olpA7Sgx0K

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 7, 2017

Trump Jr. said, “Incredibly proactive considering that law has been on the books since the mid-’90s.”

Flake said the proposed law will help save lives.

“It appears this loophole allowed a man who was clearly unfit to purchase a firearm to do so at the cost of 26 innocent lives,” Flake said in a press release.

“This bill will ensure that a situation like this will not happen again and that anyone, anywhere convicted of domestic violence is kept from legally purchasing a gun.”

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