House speaker yields, will allow gun vote

WASHINGTON — A week after members including the Connecticut delegation disrupted the normal flow of business in the House, Speaker Paul Ryan told Republican colleagues Thursday he would permit a vote to keep guns away from those on the government’s terrorism watch list.

The vote would be part of a larger terrorism package, according to a source who listened to the call. A vote on any gun issue would represent a tremendous turnaround for Ryan, who just last week accused Democrats of staging a “publicity stunt” with an overnight sit-in.

Democrats seized control of the House floor June 22 and didn’t give it up until the following morning, after nearly 26 hours. House Democrats including Connecticut delegation members Jim Himes, Elizabeth Esty and Rosa DeLauro had demanded votes on closing the “terror loophole” in addition to expanding gun-purchase background checks, which Ryan and the House Republican leadership had steadfastly refused to do.

“There’s no question we would not be having this vote but for our actions,” said Himes on Thursday. “Hopefully this gives us a way to get back to business. We never wanted anything other than a vote.”

Connecticut gun-safety advocates were cautiously optimistic.

“After 31/2years of inaction after the Sandy Hook tragedy, a vote is long overdue,’’ said Po Murray, chair of Newtown Action Alliance. “A comprehensive gun-violence prevention package, similar to the one passed in Connecticut, is needed to reduce the devastating impact of gun violence in our nation.’’

The gun-related vote would be part of broader consideration of legislation to prevent recruitment of terrorist sympathizers.

The source on the call said Ryan described congressional efforts to keep guns away from potential terrorists as just common sense. Ryan said there would be a focus on due process to sort out who is a legitimate gun buyer and who is not.

Democrats on Capitol Hill will be on the lookout for details of the package Ryan intends to bring to the floor. They fear it might be a replay of an amendment offered last week by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, which Senate Democrats rejected as inadequate.

“I hope the speaker’s announcement is not just a publicity stunt,” Esty said. “This could be an opportunity to vote on a bipartisan (bill) ... Or this may only amount to an empty gesture with a bill that does not fix the problem. We will see.”

Cornyn proposed giving the FBI 72 hours to investigate and contest in court anyone who claims their name is on the watch list in error. Democrats said three days would not be a sufficient amount of time, and agents would arrest an individual if the evidence rose to the “probable cause” standard embodied in the Constitution.

Cornyn and Senate Republicans argued the amendment was the only way to simultaneously keep guns away from potential terrorists and protect the Second Amendment rights of those wrongly on the list.

It received the backing of the powerful lobbying group, the National Rifle Association.

“The NRA does not want terrorists to have access to legal or illegal firearms,’’ NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker said. “If the Democrats want to pass legislation that prevents terrorists from buying firearms and protects the Second Amendment rights of Americans, they could do it.’’