NY governor: ‘Madness’ not to ban no-fly list gun sales

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) said Monday that it is “madness” to sell guns to potential terrorism suspects on the federal government’s no-fly list.

“I mean, this is madness,” he said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “This is not politics. It’s just common sense. This is not Democrat/Republican, you can’t argue it ideologically.

{mosads}“If the nation has information that says this person may be a terror suspect, they should use that information,” he added. “If they don’t want to use it, they should share that information with the states and the states will use it.”

Cuomo argued that tighter firearms regulations are necessary following a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., earlier this month that killed 14 people and wounded at least 22 others.

“I would love to say on this nice Monday morning, ‘Don’t worry – San Bernardino was once in a lifetime and it won’t happen again,’” he said.

“I don’t believe that,” Cuomo continued. “I believe we’re seeing an increase in frequency in terrorism. I think we’re seeing what the Middle East lived with for a long time.”

“It’s not 6,000 miles away anymore,” he added. “I think this is going to be a turning point for the American people.”

Cuomo additionally said that a federal law may be the only way to prevent gun violence like the attack in San Bernardino.

“I don’t know, frankly, that a state-by-state response is going to work,” he said. “This is going to have to be a national response.

“You have a right to a gun,” Cuomo said. “I am a gun owner. Nobody is demonizing the ownership of guns. But not for the mentally ill, not for people who committed crimes and not for people who are suspected terrorists.”

Individuals on the terrorism no-fly list are allowed to buy guns as long as they do not have a criminal record.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and other gun control groups are now pushing to close this “terror loophole” following multiple mass shootings this year.

The Senate earlier this month rejected legislation on a 45-54 vote that would have ended the controversial exception for purchasing firearms.

Gov. Dan Malloy (D-Conn.) announced last week that his state is moving toward banning gun sales to those on the federal no-fly list.

Gun rights supporters say that the federal government occasionally puts people on the no-fly list by mistake. Critics counter that the existing laws help terrorist groups exploit existing gun regulations and cause more bloodshed on U.S. soil.