Bipartisan effort in Senate to bolster FBI checks

WASHINGTON— Republican and Democratic senators have joined forces on legislation to strengthen the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers after the Air Force failed to report the criminal history of the gunman who slaughtered more than two dozen people at a Texas church.

Congress has taken no steps on guns in the weeks after deadly shootings in Las Vegas and Sutherland Springs, Texas. The bill, which has the backing of the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, would ensure that states and federal agencies, such as the Defense Department, accurately report relevant criminal information to the FBI.

The Air Force has acknowledged that the Texas shooter, Devin Kelley, should have had his name and domestic violence conviction submitted to the National Criminal Information Center database.

The bill would penalize federal agencies that fail to properly report required records and rewards states that comply by providing them with federal grant preferences.

Cornyn said agencies and state governments have for years failed to forward legally required records.

“Just one record that’s not properly reported can lead to tragedy, as the country saw last week in Sutherland Springs, Texas,” Cornyn said. “This bill aims to help fix what’s become a nationwide, systemic problem so we can better prevent criminals and domestic abusers from obtaining firearms.”

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a fierce proponent of gun restrictions, said much more needs to be done on the issue of gun violence, but said he he believes the bill will help ensure that thousands of dangerous people are prevented from buying guns.

“It represents the strongest update to the background checks system in a decade, and provides the foundation for more compromise in the future,” Murphy said.

The measure’s prospects in the Senate are unclear despite Cornyn’s backing, and it faces an uncertain future in the GOP-run House.

The bill would penalize agencies that fail to forward required information by prohibiting political appointees from receiving any bonus pay. The legislation also seeks to improve accountability by publicly reporting which agencies and states fail to provide the required records.