title: Flake willing to support background checks, with changes to internet sales
content: Washington ( CNN ) – Republican Sen. Jeff Flake told CNN he is willing to reverse his opposition to expanding background checks for guns if the Senate bill 's sponsors change a provision dealing with internet sales .
  Flake said the only reason he voted no was because of his concern that the requirement for background checks on internet sales is too costly and inconvenient , given the way guns are often sold among friends in his state of Arizona and others .
  He said under the measure as written , if a gun owner sends a few friends a text or email asking if they want to buy their gun , or posts it on their Facebook page , `` that is considered a commercial sale . ''
  For people in rural areas in his state and others , he said that becomes inconvenient and costly .
  Flake admitted that Sen. Joe Manchin , D-West Virginia , the measure 's chief sponsor who is trying to revive it after a devastating Senate defeat last month , may not be able to change the language in a way that satisfies him . But Flake insists he hopes they can figure it out .
  Manchin and gun control advocates need to convince five senators to go from `` no '' to `` yes '' in order to find the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster .
  The legislation would have expanded a requirement for gun background checks on internet sales and private sales at gun shows .
  A Senate Democratic leadership aide said Monday that they do n't anticipate or expect to get a deal on background checks in time for the bill to be reconsidered this work period , which ends just before Memorial Day weekend .
  Flake , a first term senator , is close with former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords , who , along with her husband , had been lobbying Flake to support expanding background checks . They were publicly highly critical of Flake 's decision to vote no .
  Some Republicans opposed the measure out of fear that expanding background checks would put the country on a path to a national gun registry , but Flake said that is not his concern .
  `` I know that is not what this bill does , just the opposite , '' Flake said .
  During last week 's congressional recess , Flake was the target of gun control group protests .
  One group , Mayors Against Illegal Guns , sent a woman whose son died in the Aurora movie massacre to try to see Flake in his Phoenix office so he could see the `` pain in her eyes . ''
  A Democratic polling firm 's survey showed Flake as the most unpopular senator in the country , prompting Flake to post on his Facebook page that puts him somewhere `` below pond scum ''
  Still , he said he got plenty of positive feedback back from home for opposing the background check measure as it was written .
  `` I 'm comfortable with where I am , pond scum or not , '' he said with a smile .
content_original: 6 years ago
  
  Washington (CNN) – Republican Sen. Jeff Flake told CNN he is willing to reverse his opposition to expanding background checks for guns if the Senate bill's sponsors change a provision dealing with internet sales.
  
  Flake said the only reason he voted no was because of his concern that the requirement for background checks on internet sales is too costly and inconvenient, given the way guns are often sold among friends in his state of Arizona and others.
  
  
  
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  He said under the measure as written, if a gun owner sends a few friends a text or email asking if they want to buy their gun, or posts it on their Facebook page, "that is considered a commercial sale."
  
  For people in rural areas in his state and others, he said that becomes inconvenient and costly.
  
  Flake admitted that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, the measure's chief sponsor who is trying to revive it after a devastating Senate defeat last month, may not be able to change the language in a way that satisfies him. But Flake insists he hopes they can figure it out.
  
  Manchin and gun control advocates need to convince five senators to go from "no" to "yes" in order to find the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster.
  
  The legislation would have expanded a requirement for gun background checks on internet sales and private sales at gun shows.
  
  A Senate Democratic leadership aide said Monday that they don't anticipate or expect to get a deal on background checks in time for the bill to be reconsidered this work period, which ends just before Memorial Day weekend.
  
  Flake, a first term senator, is close with former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who, along with her husband, had been lobbying Flake to support expanding background checks. They were publicly highly critical of Flake's decision to vote no.
  
  Some Republicans opposed the measure out of fear that expanding background checks would put the country on a path to a national gun registry, but Flake said that is not his concern.
  
  "I know that is not what this bill does, just the opposite," Flake said.
  
  During last week's congressional recess, Flake was the target of gun control group protests.
  
  One group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, sent a woman whose son died in the Aurora movie massacre to try to see Flake in his Phoenix office so he could see the "pain in her eyes."
  
  A Democratic polling firm's survey showed Flake as the most unpopular senator in the country, prompting Flake to post on his Facebook page that puts him somewhere "below pond scum"
  
  Still, he said he got plenty of positive feedback back from home for opposing the background check measure as it was written.
  
  "I'm comfortable with where I am, pond scum or not," he said with a smile.
  
  - CNN Senior Congressional Producer Ted Barrett contributed to this report.