Senators rally around gun database

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 this month.

The bill would ensure that federal agencies, such as the Defense Department, and states accurately report relevant criminal information to the FBI.

The Air Force has acknowledged that the shooter in the Sutherland Springs, Texas, shooting, Devin Patrick 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 reward states that comply by providing them with federal grant preferences.

The Senate’s No. 2 Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, said agencies and state governments have for years failed to forward legally required records without consequences.

“Just one record that’s not properly reported can lead to tragedy, as the country saw last week in Sutherland Springs, Texas,” Cornyn 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.