By VERENA DOBNIK

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Top New York officials demanded Sunday that the federal government share classified watch-list information on suspected terrorists so the state can block such people from buying guns legally.

Sen. Charles Schumer and Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that keeping the information secret creates a dangerous “terror gap.”

“This loophole does nothing more than help radical people kill innocent Americans, and it must be closed,” said Cuomo. “The fact that reform continues to languish illustrates the stranglehold the NRA has over Washington, and it’s time for our elected leaders to show the political courage to vote for the safety of the American people.”

The two Democrats held a news conference at a lower Manhattan spot with a view of a powerful national symbol: the Statue of Liberty.

Schumer has co-sponsored the “Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015,” which would give the U.S. Department of Justice authority to prevent a suspected terrorist from buying such materials.