WASHINGTON -- Half a year after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), the Obama administration is set to release a series of reforms to the current gun law, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Thursday.
The reforms, which are being crafted by the Department of Justice, come after a series of meetings with relevant stakeholders in the Second Amendment debate. But in a nod to the difficulties of getting legislation through a Republican-run House of Representatives, only executive orders or administrative actions -- and not an actual bill -- are expected to be handed to Congress.
Administration officials were coy on the specifics, from the reforms the Department of Justice would recommend or when it would actually make those recommendations.
"The president directed the Attorney General to form working groups with key stakeholders to identify common sense measures that would improve American safety and security while fully respecting Second Amendment rights," Carney said at Thursday's briefing. "That process is well underway at the Department of Justice with stakeholders on all sides working through these complex issues and we expect to have more specific announcements in the near future."
Just how near? Carney would only say "not far in the future." Another administration official said weeks would be an appropriate measurement.
When the recommendations do come, it will represent the most comprehensive move on the gun control front from this administration to date. The president has largely punted on the issue since entering the White House, save issuing carefully worded reactions to Supreme Court rulings on local gun laws or bans.
The Giffords shooting had, seemingly, upped the pressure to implement reforms. Obama himself used the occasion to pen an op-ed for the Arizona Daily Star advocating for stronger state-to-state coordination with respect to gun data, expedited background checks and greater enforcement of the laws already on the books. The Department of Justice meetings commenced not too long later and have continued over the course of several months, according to an administration official. They are now finished.
The end result, one source close to the discussions said, was a package of reforms "not huge in scope." They are largely expected to mirror the topics covered in the president's op-ed. Gun control advocates have pushed for more, including legislation that would limit the size of magazines -- such as the 32-round clip that Giffords' shooter used -- or a bill that would force private sellers to conduct background checks at gun shows -- which was pushed in the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting.
Still, executive actions offer something that legislation doesn't: guaranteed results. And as one gun control advocate told the Huffington Post, there are ways to "use these administrative changes to obtain similar results."
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"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency........... Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."
With reference to the Arizona shooting and with reference to the Virginia Tech shooting, as far as I know the shooters did not violate laws in obtaining their guns. We have laws -- I assume -- that forbid someone who is "crazy" from purchasing weapons. The two shooters in these cases were not deemed "crazy." This seems like more "want to feel good" type of measures that would have no impact on preventing the signal shooting crimes that provide a pretext for the measures.
Maybe we need tighter control on our "crazies?" Maybe we need to test and certify our "crazies" more consistently? Then if someone is "crazy" don't let them buy a gun . . . or drive a car, or supervise children, or borrow money from a lending institution, or work for the government, or hold public office. C'mon! They're crazy after all!!!!
Of course the sticky issue is how do you decide someone is crazy. Seriously, how do you put the label on the Virginia Tech shooter of "disturbed" or "crazy?" It is a difficult matter. What about the Arizona shooter? Same deal? What about the loon who shot up all those people at Fort Hood? Wasn't that crazy? Didn't people know that guy was crazy -- had beliefs and principles beyond the norm. Couldn't that shooting have been prevented?
We shall see what kind of "administrative orders" are issued. More fodder. Again, Obama is not going to win the election by persuading die-hard Democrats to vote for him. He has to win the center and the independents. Anti-gun activities, especially anti-gun activities that comprise dictatorial, heavy handed executive orders that are not legitimized by the legislature are going to weaken him.
Gee... Where are the leftist hacks from the site who like to screech "show me a law... show me a law...." when Obama's anti-2nd Amendment bent is discussed?
More laws won't stop anything when people can just buy guns from ATF agents...
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I love Christmas lights. They remind me of the people who voted for Obama. They all hang together; half of them don't work, and the ones that do, aren't that bright.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do
not understand, no explanation is possible.
A golf course is a willful and deliberate misuse of a perfectly good rifle range.
The only thing a background check is going to show is criminal history. If we feel like that criminal is dangerous with a gun, why are we letting him out in the first place?
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You may beat the rap, but you won't beat the ride!
Expect Obama to ban some guns from import under the "sporting purposes" clause of the GCA 1968. The BATFE is making noises about semi-auto shotguns and the semi-auto Saiga shotgun is likely to be banned from import. There is a precedent for banning semi-auto shotguns from import: Reagan banned two of them.
Obama may try to ban so called "high capacity" magazines: However, that one would not fly. Expect Obama to go into a low key rant in an attempt to appease ultra-liberal anti-gun Democrat voters. Any serious gun control by executive order will have to wait until after the 2012 elections: Hopefully, Obama will not be around to do that.
Gee... Where are the leftist hacks from the site who like to screech "show me a law... show me a law...." when Obama's anti-2nd Amendment bent is discussed?
Havent seen many of them lately( for awhile).
But in sure whatever BO does will be seen as perfectly"reasonable gun controls measures" by him & his followers.
And if its anything like- there war to bankrupt & hurt the coal companys & squeeze the oil producers etc( jack up energy costs) & put Americans out of work- they dont have to pass new cap & trade laws- just minipulate whats already in place.
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Let others praise ancient times; I am glad I was born in these.-- Ovid (43 B.C.-A.D. 18)
Things ain't what they used to be and probably never was. ~Will Rogers
Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.
"Shouldn't someone tag Mr. Kennedy's 'bold new imaginative program' with its proper age?" "Under the tousled boyish haircut it is still old Karl Marx—first launched a century ago.
There is nothing new in the idea of a government being Big Brother to us all. R.Reagan-1960
But..but..but the story says- new policy- not new law.
( but to me it looks like a new law( with the same results), but im not a lawyer or a dble talking poltican( or do i play one on tv or here).
Quote:
Under the new policy, federal firearms licensees in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico must report purchases of two or more of some types of rifles by the same person in a five-day span. The requirement applies to purchases of semi-automatic rifles that have detachable magazines and a caliber of greater than .22.
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Let others praise ancient times; I am glad I was born in these.-- Ovid (43 B.C.-A.D. 18)
Things ain't what they used to be and probably never was. ~Will Rogers
Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.
"Shouldn't someone tag Mr. Kennedy's 'bold new imaginative program' with its proper age?" "Under the tousled boyish haircut it is still old Karl Marx—first launched a century ago.
There is nothing new in the idea of a government being Big Brother to us all. R.Reagan-1960
More gun control is coming.
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