“In Dr King’s words, we need to feel the fierce urgency of now, because people are dying”, President Obama told the audience.
Advertisement
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee called Obama’s announcement a “blatant, belligerent abuse of power”, and said that “I will never bow down and surrender to Obama’s unconstitutional, radical, anti-gun agenda”.
Surrounded by family members of people killed in shootings, his voice rose to a yell as he said the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms needed to be balanced by the right to worship, gather peacefully and live their lives. Speaking from the East Room of the White House Tuesday morning, the president announced efforts to close loopholes in background checks, pump up federal funding for people seeking mental health care and to invest in gun safety technology.
Still, Republicans know that while opposing almost all restrictions on gun laws may be the only acceptable position for many GOP primary voters, it could be less attractive in a general election.
The executive action the president announced today would force virtually anyone who sells guns, whether at a traditional store, a gun show or online, to conduct background checks.
“With these new rules saying one or two guns without a background check can now land someone five years in jail and a $250,000 fine, we imagine prosecutions will ramp up”, Pratt said. From Obama’s perspective, that’s why he needs to take steps to restrict access to guns, even if executive actions can’t address the full scope of the issue in the way congressional action could. He’s the president of the United States.
Invoking the memories of the Charleston church massacre, the San Bernardino attack or the shooting at Sandy Hook, the President tearfully called for changes in the nation’s gun controls.
Relford says the President’s proposed gun controls also wouldn’t prevent everyday street crime, the sort of violence that plagued Indianapolis a year ago.
“The President’s aversion to gun rights and the Second Amendment has been blatantly clear throughout his tenure, as has his disregard for the checks and balances on power put in place by our Founding Fathers”.
Because we all must do our part to keep our communities safe, the Administration is also calling on States and local governments to do all they can to keep guns out of the wrong hands and reduce gun violence.
Robert Rael, a federally licensed gun dealer for over 25 years who is a regular at Eddy County gun shows, said the changes in gun laws are superficial at best. The FBI will hire more than 230 additional examiners and other staff to help process these background checks. The Republican field formed a chorus of voices vowing to annul the whole package, with Marco Rubio claiming Obama was “Obama is obsessed with undermining the Second Amendment”.
Likewise, Sen. Bob Corker says he’ll review the details of Obama’s plans.
“Rather than focus on criminals and terrorists, he goes after the most law-abiding of citizens”, said House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican. It’s not going to prevent every mass shooting. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, both competing for the nomination from Obama’s party, praised the president and pledged to build on his actions if elected.
He said he believes Obama’s orders should have banned sales of assault rifles and large magazines capable of holding multiple rounds of ammunition.
Advertisement
The President said gun laws work – and he used CT as an example.
