White House: Senate gun votes ‘a shameful display of cowardice’

The White House on Tuesday blasted the Senate’s “cowardice” for rejecting four separate gun control measures.

“What we saw last night in the United States Senate is a shameful display of cowardice,” press secretary Josh Earnest said on CNN.

{mosads}“They continue to protect a loophole to allow individuals suspected of terrorism to buy a gun. Right now, according to loopholes protected by Republicans, those individuals can walk into a gun store and buy a gun. That doesn’t make any sense.”

Earnest slammed critics who say the Obama administration wants to smother Second Amendment rights.

“We’re not suggesting that a law-abiding American citizen should not be able to buy a gun,” he said. 

“We believe our military should be well-armed. We believe our law enforcement should be well-armed. We don’t believe we’re going to pass a law that’s going to prevent every act of gun violence.”

The Senate on Monday rejected four gun control measures in the wake of last week’s mass shooting in Orlando.

Two measures dealt with expanding background checks and two sought to prevent individuals on terrorist watchlists from buying guns.

All four required 60 votes to move forward, and Democrats and Republicans offered dueling amendments on both issues.

Forty-nine were killed and 53 injured when a gunman opened fire on Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Shooter Omar Mateen, 29, died during a shootout with police.