Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun advocacy group Everytown is putting pressure on President Obama to use his pen to implement new gun control measures through executive action.
In an effort to exploit the murders at Umpqua Community College in Oregon last week, Everytown has issued a report with actions they claim will "save lives" and "keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people."
"This report answers the President’s call, and offers five life-saving measures that the Administration could advance — today — to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people," the Everytown website states. "These five critical — and simple — steps would: keep dangerous people with guns out of our schools; crack down on gun trafficking and curb the sale of guns without background checks; ensure that law enforcement identifies and prosecutes the most dangerous criminals who try to illegally obtain guns; help states to enforce their own background check laws; and ensure that all convicted domestic abusers are prohibited from possessing guns. A comprehensive list of these and other recommended executive actions is set forth in the appendix to this report."
The executive action recommendations:
1. Issue guidance to ensure that dangerous people are not permitted to carry guns within 1,000 feet of a school;
2. Issue a regulation clarifying that high-volume gun sellers are “engaged in the business” of dealing firearms and must obtain dealer licenses and comply with applicable laws, including background checks on all gun sales;
3. Instruct federal law enforcement to identify and arrest dangerous criminals who try to buy illegal guns, and to notify and work with state and local authorities when these illegal purchases are attempted;
4. Assist states in enforcing their existing background check laws by publishing aggregate background check denial data for guns sold by unlicensed sellers; and
5. Protect victims of domestic abuse by clarifying that convicted abusers are prohibited from having guns regardless of marital status.
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2) It is already illegal to operate as a business selling firearms with the intent of making a profit without an FFL.
3) The U.S. already has laws that allow law enforcement to identify and prosecute dangerous criminals who try to illegal buy guns but under President Obama, prosecution of these crimes and enforcement of these laws are down significantly.
4) Oregon in particular has a universal background check system which didn't stop the murders last week. 5) Convicted domestic abusers are already banned from purchasing firearms.As Everytown notes, President Obama lamented the lack of action from Congress to implement more gun control during remarks last week and said he can't change current laws by himself. Everytown seems to think he can and that he should.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said over the weekend she would use executive action to implement more gun control should she win the race for the White House in 2016.
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