Dem Sen.: We May Have Votes To Keep Those On No Fly List From Buying Gun

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., right, and other Democratic senators call for gun control legislation in the wake of the mass shooting in an Orlando LGBT nightclub this week, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 16, 2016. Sen. Murphy, who mourned the loss of 20 children in his home state,  waged a roughly 15-hour filibuster into early Thursday, asserting as he yielded the floor that Republican leaders had committed to hold votes on expanded gun background checks and a ban on gun sales to suspected terrorists. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., right, and other Democratic senators call for gun control legislation in the wake of the mass shooting in an Orlando LGBT nightclub this week, at the Capi... Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., right, and other Democratic senators call for gun control legislation in the wake of the mass shooting in an Orlando LGBT nightclub this week, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 16, 2016. Sen. Murphy, who mourned the loss of 20 children in his home state, waged a roughly 15-hour filibuster into early Thursday, asserting as he yielded the floor that Republican leaders had committed to hold votes on expanded gun background checks and a ban on gun sales to suspected terrorists. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who led a nearly 15-hour filibuster on gun control this week, said on Thursday that there might be enough votes in the Senate to pass a measure barring people on terror watch lists from purchasing a firearm.

“We may have 60 votes to pass the measure that makes sure that people who are on the terror watch list cannot buy guns,” he said on CNN. ”That is a non-controversial issue in the American public.”

When pressed by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on whether Democrats could definitely get the provision passed, Murphy said he does not yet know but that many lawmakers are “reassessing” the issue in the wake of the deadly shooting in Orlando, Florida.

Murphy said he was “skeptical” that the second measure pushed by Democrats, which would require background checks for firearms purchased at gun shows and online, would pass in the Senate.

The Democratic senator began a lengthy filibuster on Wednesday morning calling on the Senate to pass gun control measures. He ended the filibuster early Thursday morning and Republicans agreed to hold votes on the two gun control measures. The votes will take place next week.

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