Gun-control advocates will be at the Valley offices of Republican Arizona Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain asking them to pass universal background checks for potential gun buyers. (Source: CBS 5 News)PHOENIX (CBS5) -
The U.S. Judiciary Committee on Thursday will consider requiring universal background checks for anyone who wants to buy a gun.
It's a heated topic that has all both sides fired up.
The checks would get rid of the loophole that lets unlicensed private dealers sell guns without running a background check on buyers.
Under current law, gun buyers must submit to a background check whenever they buy a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer, but they aren't checked at all at gun shows or private homes.
The legislation is the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's initiative against gun violence.
Meanwhile, gun-safety advocates will be at the Valley offices of Republican Arizona Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain on Thursday asking them to pass the measure.
"All we are asking for is reasonable measures for reasonable people to keep these dangerous weapons out of hands of people with horrific consequences," said Jennifer Longdon, of Arizonans for Gun Safety.
Longdon's group and the Arizona chapter of People Acting for a Safer Society (PASS) will be at the senators' offices at 1:30 p.m.
Flake issued the following statement Monday:
"As you may know, I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and I do not believe that our society needs more laws restricting gun ownership. What we really need is to do a better job of keeping guns out of the hands of those who should not have them, while ensuring that those who break existing laws are fully prosecuted.
"To that end, I support more effective and broader background checks for those purchasing firearms."
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