A proposal to ban the sale of firearms to individuals on the FBI’s terrorist watch list was defeated by House Republicans on Wednesday.

Reps. Nita Lowey (D-NY) and David Price (D-NC) offered an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill that would have given the U.S. Department of Justice authority to block suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms and explosives.

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“Terrorists are knowingly exploiting our laws,” Lowey said, citing American-born al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn.

The amendment was defeated in the House Appropriations Committee by a 19-29 vote.

“Americans expect our government to keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers, the mentally ill, and terrorists,” Lowey said in a statement. “A suspected terrorist cannot board a plane but can pass a background check to buy a gun. It is absurd that my Republican colleagues opposed our amendment to close this dangerous gap in our gun safety laws.”

Similar legislation has been proposed — and defeated — before. The National Rifle Association claimed in 2011 such proposals were “aimed primarily at law-abiding American gun owners” and “sponsored by gun control extremists.”

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube, below:

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[Gun rights supporter with flag in business suit via Shutterstock.com]