Obama to Take Executive Action Expanding Gun Background Checks
On Tuesday, the New York Times reports, President Obama will announce executive actions requiring anyone who makes a living selling guns—at gun shows, for example, or online—to register as a licensed gun dealer and conduct background checks.
“Although we have a strong tradition of gun ownership, even those who possess firearms for hunting, for self-protection and for other legitimate reasons want to make sure that the wrong people don’t have them for the wrong reasons,” the president told reporters on Monday.
Obama will also require more gun research from federal agencies and more federal prosecution of domestic violence cases. And, from the AP:
In an attempt to prevent gun purchases from falling through the cracks, the FBI will hire 230 more examiners to process background checks, the White House said. The FBI has a computerized system that can process background checks for many in seconds. But in instances where the FBI needs more time, the government only has three days before prospective buyers can return and buy the gun without being cleared.
Obama defended the measures even before they were announced, insisting they fall within his legal authority and uphold the Second Amendment right to own a gun. He planned to announce the new measures at an event at the White House on Tuesday.
“This is not going to solve every violent crime in this country,” Obama said. Still, he added, “It will potentially save lives and spare families the pain of these extraordinary losses.”
Right-wing figures were quick to weigh in. “Pretty soon, you won’t be able to get guns,” Donald Trump said on CNN. “It’s another step in the way of not getting guns.”
Photo via AP Images. Contact the author of this post: brendan.oconnor@gawker.com.