Obama Gun Control Steps: 2 New Gun Regulations With Executive Powers
President Obama on Monday announced two new gun control steps that he would override Congress on using his executive power. One step includes closing a loophole that permitted known felons to gain access to a weapon.
The White House said in a statement Thursday that it would tighten regulations on gun control with or without the approval of congress. Referring to the new regulations as "common-sense proposals," the President passed two of 23 steps proposed by the administration that could be imposed by Obama without the consent of congress.
"Even as Congress fails to act on common-sense proposals, like expanding criminal background checks and making gun trafficking a federal crime, the president and vice president remain committed to using all the tools in their power," the White House said in a statement.
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The first step pertains to a loophole that previously existed allowing felons to circumvent background checks by registering a weapon under a corporation or trust. Without the new regulation, the previous rule allowed felons and domestic abusers to obtain machine guns and short-barreled shotguns, the administration argued. Under the new regulation, companies and trusts will also have to face background checks.
The second step included stricter regulations on weapon importation. The action will ban the re-importation of military weapons by private entities. Re-importation was previously made possible if the government granted permission. Since 2005, the government approved 250,000 requests. Banning re-importation will prevent military weapons that were sold or donated to another country from ending up on U.S. streets, the administration said.
The National Rifle Association admonished the government for impeding on the rights of "law-abiding" citizens.
"Requiring background checks for corporations and trusts does not keep firearms out of the hands of criminals," the NRA's Andrew Arulanandam said. "Prohibiting the re-importation of firearms into the U.S. that were manufactured 50 or more years ago does not keep firearms out of the hands of criminals. This administration should get serious about prosecuting violent criminals who misuse guns and stop focusing its efforts on law-abiding gun owners."
