The U.S. leader said he has directed his staff to "look into any new actions I can take to help reduce gun violence," and he is meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday to "discuss our options."
"We know that we can't stop every act of violence. But what if we tried to stop even one," asked the president, apparently reflecting on lawmakers who have repeatedly failed to take any action that would reduce the epidemic.
Obama said three years ago, a bipartisan "commonsense bill" would have required background checks for "virtually everyone who buys a gun," a measure supported by "some 90 percent of the American people." He said it was also supported by a majority of the National Rifle Association members, but "the gun lobby mobilized against it and the Senate blocked it."
The Associated Press said a person familiar with the administration's efforts on gun control expected that Obama would take executive action to set a "reasonable threshold" for when gun sellers would need to perform a background check.
The National Rifle Association opposes new background check requirements, saying studies show criminals usually acquire guns through theft, the black market, or from friends and family members.
Republicans generally have opposed calls for more restrictions.........http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-admonishes-congress-on-gun-control/3127238.html
1/1/16
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Related:
Obama expected to unilaterally impose gun control measures...
ReplyDeletePresident Barack Obama made fighting gun violence his chief resolution for 2016 in a New Year's Day address, calling it a major piece of "unfinished business" for his White House administration.
With time running out on his presidency, and with little prospect of reaching common ground with Congress on the highly contentious guns issue, Obama is expected to resort to the use of executive powers that would allow him to unilaterally impose certain new anti-gun measures.
The US leader announced he would meet with Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday, his first day back at work after the year-end break, "to discuss our options" in reducing the toll of deaths and injuries from firearms.
As he marked the start of his final year as president, Obama expressed regret at the little progress made in the past seven years towards remedying the firearm "epidemic" that claims more than 30,000 lives in America each year, over half of them suicides.
"My New Year's resolution is to move forward on our unfinished business as much as I can," he said.
"That's especially true for one piece of unfinished business, that's our epidemic of gun violence."............http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/americas/97679-160102-obama-expected-to-bypass-congress-on-gun-control-legislation
2/1/16