Story highlights More than 9 of every 10 members of the terror watch list who seek to buy guns are approved

Democrats are pushing to ban watch list members from purchasing firearms

Washington (CNN) People on the United States' terrorist watch list passed background checks and have been allowed to purchase firearms 91% of the time in 2015, updated federal data shows.

An updated report by the Government Accountability Office, released Tuesday by Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office, shows individuals on the terrorist watch list were involved in background checks to purchase firearms 244 times -- with 223 of those transactions, or 91%, allowed to proceed.

That same 91% approval rate holds from February 2004, when the National Instant Criminal Background Check System began checking prospective gun buyers against the Federal Bureau of Investigation's terrorist watch list. Since then, people on the watch list have had their backgrounds checked for firearms purchases 2,477 times -- with 2,265 of those transactions allowed to proceed and 212 denied.

Feinstein, a California Democrat, had requested the updated data on March 7.

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