WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after a successful test-vote on a bipartisan compromise gun safety amendment put forth by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine).

“This Senate has taken the first procedural step in support of an amendment that would help keep guns and explosives out of the hands of terrorists. Fifty-two senators voted in support of the bipartisan proposal. I applaud Senator Collins and senators from both sides of the aisle for coming together –in the best tradition of the Senate– to find a viable compromise. I urge the Majority Leader to allow a real vote on the bipartisan measure rather than the procedural hoops we attempted to jump through today. While this is not the amendment I would have written, it is progress and it should get an up-or-down vote.

“I strongly believe and polls show that the American people want Congress to close the loopholes that allow criminals to buy guns and enact federal legislation that treats purchasing a firearm with the gravity it deserves.

“Today’s vote was procedural and did not consider the amendment itself. It should have. I would hope that this test-vote gives my fellow colleagues the courage to stand up against special interests and finally stop terrorists from buying guns and explosives. This should not be difficult.”