Skip to content
News
Link copied to clipboard

Obama to impose new gun-control curbs next week

HONOLULU - President Obama will press ahead with a set of executive actions on guns next week despite growing concerns in the United States over terrorism that have dampened some Americans' enthusiasm for tighter firearms restrictions.

HONOLULU - President Obama will press ahead with a set of executive actions on guns next week despite growing concerns in the United States over terrorism that have dampened some Americans' enthusiasm for tighter firearms restrictions.

The president will meet with Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday to finalize a series of new gun-control measures, and will announce his package of proposals soon after that, according to several individuals who asked for anonymity because the plan is not yet public.

One of the main proposals Obama is poised to adopt would require some unlicensed gun dealers to get licenses and conduct background checks on potential buyers. The change is aimed at informal dealers such as those who are selling online frequently or renting tables at gun shows but do not have a storefront.

Obama began examining how he could tighten the nation's gun rules after October's mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. Administration lawyers have spent months reviewing various proposals to make sure they can withstand legal challenges.

The idea of requiring informal gun dealers to obtain a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and of conducting background checks came up two years ago when White House officials drafted a proposal for dealers who sell at least 50 guns annually. But the idea was shelved over legal concerns and did not gain new momentum until after the Roseburg shooting. At that point, Hillary Clinton said she would pursue such a requirement by executive action if elected president. Shortly afterward, White House officials began giving the idea greater scrutiny.

The White House review has been conducted in relative secrecy, soliciting input from gun safety groups without specifying which policies the administration might ultimately adopt. In the last month, Obama has met with former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D., Ariz.), who was gravely injured in a 2011 shooting, and her husband, Mark Kelly, as well with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the president of Everytown for Gun Safety, which Bloomberg helped start.

In Obama's weekly radio address Friday, delivered a day earlier than usual, the president said he was moving unilaterally because Congress had failed to address the growing problem of gun violence.

"A few months ago, I directed my team at the White House to look into any new actions I can take to help reduce gun violence," he said. "And on Monday, I'll meet with our attorney general, Loretta Lynch, to discuss our options."

"Because I get too many letters from parents, and teachers, and kids, to sit around and do nothing," Obama continued. "I get letters from responsible gun owners who grieve with us every time these tragedies happen; who share my belief that the Second Amendment guarantees a right to bear arms; and who share my belief we can protect that right while keeping an irresponsible, dangerous few from inflicting harm on a massive scale."

The administration, in reviewing its options, has shut out congressional Republicans, who joined with some Democrats in helping block legislation to expand background checks after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

"The administration has not communicated with us, and we have not been briefed," said Doug Andres, a spokesman for House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), in an email. "We will consider options once we have information, but what seems apparent is none of these ideas would have prevented the recent atrocities. Our focus should be on the consistent causes of these acts - mental illnesses and terrorism - rather than infringing on law-abiding Americans' constitutional rights."

Obama plans to make his case for gun restrictions in a number of forums in the coming month, according to aides, including during his Jan. 12 State of the Union address.