Gun control and gun violence have been delicate issues in the United States for quite some time, and on Monday, the Obama administration revealed a series of new executive actions which take a jab at gun violence and how to reduce it, shedding some light on one of the “frustrating policy areas of President Obama’s tenure.”
White house officials said that the package, to be announced by President Obama on Tuesday, would include 10 separate provisions. A requirement for gun sellers — especially those who carry out transactions on the internet and at gun shows — to be licensed and carry out strict and non-negotiable background checks on buyers would be one of the key provisions.
President Obama would also be giving $500 million extra federal funds aimed at treating mental illness (a decision that might require congressional approval) and would also place a requirement that any firearm lost during the course of shipping should be immediately reported to the federal authorities.
President Obama is scheduled to shed more light about these new polices on Tuesday in the East Room, and after two days, participate in a town hall meeting at George Mason University, which would be aired on television by CNN.
Once the president gives the signal, the FBI will begin to hire more than 230 examiners and other important personnel to help in processing background checks 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The bureaus of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have also established an investigation center, where records of illegal online gun trafficking is kept, and would give out $4 million and require personnel to give support to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network.
“The gun lobby may be holding congress hostage, but they can’t hold America hostage. We can’t accept this carnage in our communities,” President Obama said in a Twitter message on Monday evening, with reference to the National Rifle Association.
Long before President Obama’s official announcement, Republicans in congress who are involved in the campaign trail have fired at the actions, and a few gun rights advocates have threatened to take them to court.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan issued a statement on Monday claiming that, even without knowing what the plans are in detail, he thinks, “The president is at minimum subverting the legislative branch, and potentially overturning its will … This is a dangerous level of executive overreach, and the country would not stand for it.”
It is quite understandable why President Obama would want to take strict actions against gun violence in his final year of office, as during his presidency, he has made a total of 16 public statements regarding mass shootings, including the recent killings in San Bernardino last month by a couple that claimed the lives of 14 people. During his administration, the President failed to persuade lawmakers to give approval for tighter legislative controls on the sales of gun back in 2013, after the death of 20 children at an elementary school in Newtown back in December, 2012.
Be the first to comment on "Obama explains executive actions in regards to gun restrictions"