President Obama is moving forward on executive action to reduce gun violence by meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch to discuss his options for doing what Congress won’t.
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The President said:
Last month, we remembered the third anniversary of Newtown. This Friday, I’ll be thinking about my friend Gabby Giffords, five years into her recovery from the shooting in Tucson. And all across America, survivors of gun violence and those who lost a child, a parent, a spouse to gun violence are forced to mark such awful anniversaries every single day.
And yet Congress still hasn’t done anything to prevent what happened to them from happening to other families. Three years ago, a bipartisan, commonsense bill would have required background checks for virtually everyone who buys a gun. Keep in mind, this policy was supported by some 90% of the American people. It was supported by a majority of NRA households. But the gun lobby mobilized against it. And the Senate blocked it.
Since then, tens of thousands of our fellow Americans have been mowed down by gun violence. Tens of thousands. Each time, we’re told that commonsense reforms like background checks might not have stopped the last massacre, or the one before that, so we shouldn’t do anything.
We know that we can’t stop every act of violence. But what if we tried to stop even one? What if Congress did something – anything – to protect our kids from 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. 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. 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.
So I know there are a bunch of us who care about this. If you are one of them, I need your help
Change, as always, is going to take all of us. The gun lobby is loud and well organized in its defense of effortlessly available guns for anyone. The rest of us are going to have to be just as passionate and well organized in our defense of our kids. That’s the work of citizenship – to stand up and fight for the change that we seek. I hope you’ll join me in making America safer for all of our children.
The executive actions on gun violence are coming. It would not be a surprise if President Obama used his last State Of The Union address to make a final argument to Congress that they need to take legislative action to combat gun violence. If Congress continues to ignore the American people on this life or death issue. the President will act alone.
Obama has seen Congress dither and cave to gun lobby while innocent Americans are mowed down on a regular basis. The steps that the President is proposing would not infringe on anyone’s Second Amendment rights. Any responsible gun owner should be in favor of steps that would make it more difficult for criminals and the mentally ill to legally buy weapons.
Republicans are on the wrong side of public opinion on expanded background checks. Their positions of all guns for everyone all of the time will hurt them next November.
President Obama is moving forward. Since Congress won’t act, Obama is getting set to take action that will hopefully help to save innocent lives.
Congress won’t do it, so Obama is stepping up to protect the American people.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
