Senate moves toward gun control votes

Senator Chris Murphy (pictured) held the floor for nearly 15 hours to urge a vote on gun control

The US Senate will vote on four gun-control related measures on Monday in wake of the Orlando nightclub massacre, but they are unlikely to pass.

The votes come after one Democrat took the House floor for nearly 15 hours to demand Congress act on gun control.

Though debate over the bills is plagued by partisan differences, the votes reflect a shift in American sentiment on guns.

Forty-nine people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

During the shooting, gunman Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to the self-styled Islamic State (IS) group, which is intensely hostile to homosexuality. However, witnesses said Mateen had been a patron at the nightclub several times.

The four measures expected to come up on Monday - two of which are sponsored by Republicans and two by Democrats - include:

• A bill to enhance universal background checks, closing the loophole which allows people to buy weapons at gun shows without any checks

• A bill to ban suspects on terrorism watch lists from buying guns

• A bill that would allow the US Attorney General to delay a gun purchase by a known or suspected terrorist, but law enforcement would need to determine the charge within three days

• A bill that would alert the FBI of terrorism suspects who have purchased a gun, without blocking the purchase outright

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, held the floor on Wednesday night in a "filibuster," a tactic that enables lawmakers to block proceedings.

The filibuster came to an end when Republicans eventually pledged to hold votes on measures for expanding background checks and preventing people on terrorism watch lists to obtain guns.

In Orlando, 49 people were killed inside of a gay nightclub

Republicans are concerned that without enough "due process", law-abiding Americans wrongly named on watch lists would be prevented from buying weapons.

Democrats say the bar is set too high on the bill from Senator John Cornyn of Texas, which would require law enforcement to make a case within three days that someone had committed terroristic activity.

Mr Cornyn's bill is supported by the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), which has significant influence on many lawmakers, especially Republicans.

"The Cornyn bill, which is the last version that I saw, creates a really impossible hurdle for the FBI," said Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, speaking on CNN.

He said the measure would simply drive suspects to buy guns off the internet instead.

Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who criticised the Democrats' filibuster, has called Mr Cornyn's bill a "serious solution".

All of the measures will need 60 votes to pass.