Montana's Washington Delegation Split On Gun Control Measures

Montana Public Radio

Published June 21, 2016 at 6:52 PM MDT

The U.S. Senate failed to pass four separate gun control amendments Monday.

Montana lawmakers in Washington voted for and against two sets of opposing gun control measures Monday.

None of the four amendments, which were spurred on by the recent mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, passed the Senate votes.

Republican Senator Steve Daines votedin support of two Republican measures that would improve but not expand background checks and require the FBI to seek a court order before preventing a gun sale to a suspected terrorist.

Daines voted against two Democrat-backed amendments to expand background checks at gun shows and entirely block gun sales to people on the terrorist watch list.

In a step away from his party’s line, Democratic Senator Jon Tester also voted against closing the so-called background check loophole, a measure he’s supported in the past.

Tester saysthe amendment went a step too far and would have blocked family members and neighbors from buying and selling guns to each other without a background check. He called on the need to protect “our hunting heritage and western way of life.”

All of the proposed amendments Monday fell just shy of the 60-vote threshold required to pass.