The following is a Press Release from the John Plumb for Congress campaign team.

Jamestown, NY — Congressman Tom Reed is continuing his record of undermining the safety of New Yorkers. Last year he voted to shut down the Department of Homeland Security and now he is standing strong in his support of letting known suspected terrorist legally buy guns in the United States.

In a statement John Plumb, Candidate for Congress in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, said the following: “It is totally disingenuous for Congressman Tom Reed to claim his priority is the safety of American citizens when he stands so firm in his belief that suspected terrorists should be able to legally buy guns in the United States.

“As an avid hunter, I have no interest taking away the Second Amendment rights of of law-abiding citizens – and this common sense proposal does no such thing. This is about keeping weapons out of the hands of suspected terrorists – something even the NRA agrees should be one piece to a much larger response to fighting our enemies abroad and at home.

“I’ve dedicated my life to protecting our country and keeping us safe, first in the Navy and then in my work at the Pentagon. And today, I continue that commitment as a Commander in the Navy Reserve. I’ve taken an oath to protect and defend our country – but unlike Tom Reed, I will never turn my back on that promise.”

In a recent interview with a local Cattaraugus County newspaper, Rep. Reed again refused to support a plan sponsored by New York Republican Peter King that would close the current loophole that allows suspected terrorists to legally buy guns in the U.S.

In March of 2015, Reed broke with his fellow GOP members in New York State and opposed a spending bill that would have funded the Department of Homeland Security. Then in December of 2015, Reed publicly opposed a Senate proposal that would have kept individuals on watch lists from purchasing weapons.