The Latest: Cornyn urges military to submit criminal records

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Pentagon's responsibility to provide military criminal history information to the FBI (all times local):

2:20 p.m.

Texas' senior senator says he wants to ensure the military complies with the law on background checks after the Air Force failed to submit the criminal history to the FBI of the gunman who killed 26 at a Texas church.

Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, told reporters on Tuesday that he is working on legislation to get both the military and states to swiftly provide already-required criminal conviction records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

The gunman had a history of domestic violence but was able to buy weapons because of the Air Force's errors.

Cornyn said he hoped the legislation could get support from Republicans and Democrats.

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11 a.m.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says he has directed the Pentagon's watchdog to examine the circumstances of the Air Force's failure to report the Texas church shooter's domestic violence conviction to the FBI.

Mattis says we have to "find out what's going on."

Under Pentagon rules, convictions of military personnel in crimes like assault should be shared with the FBI for its National Criminal Information Center database. Devin Patrick Kelley, the gunman in Sunday's attack, was convicted of assault against his wife and stepson in an Air Force court-martial in 2012.

Mattis says the Pentagon must make certain it's got "the right direction." And he says he must "define what the problem is."

Mattis says: "If the problem is we didn't put something out, we'll correct that."