(CHICAGO) South Carolina Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham was on WLS Monday morning defending his support for a bi-partisan bill that would bar people who are not allowed to board airplanes from buying guns or explosives.
Conservatives have argued that the bill is unfair to people who are put on the no fly list by mistake, but Graham told “The Big John Howell Show” on WLS, that it’s extremely unlikely that could happen.
“To get on the no fly list, the intelligence community, the CIA, NSA, all of the intelligence people, nominate people to be on the no fly list,” Graham said. “The FBI puts you on it and I believe there’s a better chance of winning the lottery than getting on this list if you did nothing wrong. There’s not many Bubbas on this list, Big John.”
Graham says anyone on the list by mistake has recourse. Listen to his exclusive interview with “Big” John Howell here.
“If you find yourself on the list, and you’re denied buying a gun because you’re on this list, within 14 days you can file a petition in District Court anywhere in the country, and within 14 days the judge has to decide”, Graham said. “The burden of proof is on the Government, the proof that you should be on the list based on credible evidence and if the Government loses it has to pay your attorney fees. So within two weeks of filing a petition, you’ll have your rights restored if you’re on the list wrongfully.”
Graham says there are about 850 Americans on the no fly list, and an additional 109,000 people who receive extra airport screening measures because they are on the no-fly selectee list, which Graham says is primarily made up of foreign nationals.
By supporting the gun measure in the wake of the Orlando Gay Nightclub massacre, Graham is distancing himself from his fellow Republicans who oppose nearly all gun control measures.
Kirk appeared on WLS to support the re-election campaign of Illinois GOP Senator Mark Kirk, who is one of the top targets of national Democrats in the November election.
Graham appealed to conservatives in the WLS listening audience to vote for KIrk, whose moderate positions have angered conservatives.
“We need more Mark Kirks, not less. Democrats do exist. There may not be many listening here today but there are 46 in Washington and somebody’s got to find a way to bridge the divide on immigration, to find a solution, not just yell about it. I can’t think of anybody that knows the war on terror better than Mark Kirk. So for God’s sake, keep Mark Kirk in the Senate because he’s really good on terrorism, and he’s a bipartisan guy and we need to bring the country together.”
@ 2016 WLS-AM News
