Rep. Sean Duffy pushed back Tuesday on the idea that President Trump advocates for “extreme vetting” in terrorist cases, but not in gun-related crimes.
“Some will say we support extreme vetting for those who want to buy a firearm, but we didn’t support extreme vetting for those who want to come into the country that could potentially do us harm,” Mr. Duffy, Wisconsin Republican, said on CNN.
“I think we have to give the politics aside,” he added. “We have to look at this and say, OK, what are the facts, and how do you prevent these things from happening in the future.”
Mr. Duffy said that while he supports background checks at gun shows or stores, he has an issue with background checks for private sales. He points to guns that are passed down in families or between friends and neighbors, arguing that requiring background checks fort those exchanges is “intrusive.”
“I want to still preserve and protect my constituents’ right to own and possess a firearm,” he said.
But he did say more has to be done to prevent men like the shooter in the Texas massacre from getting a gun. Devin Patrick Kelley opened fired on a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday. Kelley, was a member of the Air Force from 2010 to 2014 and was court-martialed for assaulting his spouse and child in 2012.
The Air Force admitted Monday that they failed to put Kelley’s court-martial into the federal database. He received a bad-conduct discharge, which should have prevented him from buying a firearm or the body armor he was reportedly wearing.
The 26-year-old’s motives remain unknown at this time, but his in-laws attended the church, although they were not there on Sunday. He later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his vehicle after fleeing the scene, according to reports.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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