Iowa's senior U.S. senator says his proposed gun-control amendment failed to reach the 60-vote mark Monday because of disagreements over the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
"Don't forget (the Second Amendment) is just as important as the fundamental rights of the First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment," says Sen. Chuck Grassley. "You can't compromise people's constitutional rights."
Grassley's legislation aimed to increase funding for federal background checks, but also allowed certain people to purchase guns who are currently unable to due to past mental illness. It stopped short of expanding background checks.
Senators were also unable to pass three other amendments that barred terrorist suspects from purchasing firearms, alerted authorities if a terrorist suspect tried to buy a gun, and expanded federal background checks.
Grassley says focus now shifts to a new proposal authored by GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
Announced Tuesday, Collins's bill allows the attorney general to prevent certain terrorist suspects from buying firearms, but requires a higher standard for this restriction compared to earlier legislation. The bill also stipulates that if someone who was denied their Second Amendment right successfully appeals, the government must pay the legal costs.
