Prev Next
Featured Quizzes
Politix Daily Headlines
Featured Debates
Issues

See all 17 issues

People
White House

See all people

EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Obama Could Take Up to 19 Executive Actions on Gun Control

The White House's comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence lays out the possibilities

Next>

by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

Image: AP

President Barack Obama could take up to 19 executive actions on gun control, as part of a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence expected to be announced Wednesday, according to multiple news reports.

The White House's plan calls for an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and sets limits on the number of bullets magazines can hold, according to the Washington Post.

It also lays out the possible actions the president could take without Congressional approval, including imposing new limits on guns imported from overseas, requiring federal agencies to improve the sharing of mental health records, directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct research on gun violence, and strengthening enforcement of existing laws, the New York Times reports.

A task force led by Vice President Joe Biden developed the proposals after meeting with a range of experts and interest groups including gun rights supporters, law enforcement officials, mental health experts, gun safety advocates, members of the entertainment and video game industries, representatives from major firearms sellers like Wal-Mart, and victims of gun violence.

After last month's mass-shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., Obama promised to "take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics."

Via New York Times and the Washington Post.

Like this article? B Vote Up
?

Do you want Obama to use executive orders on gun control?

View results

Comments (view in Forum)

  • Fishbone345
    !
    As much as I think something has to change, I'm leery about the actions he may take. With things in place like the Patriot Act and NDAA 12, wire taps, etc... This is another step towards tyranny.
    The People shouldn't fear their government, a government should fear it's People.
  • jessejaymes
    !
    Depends. I would use executive order to require agencies to share information one mentally ill applicants (no way in hell that guy in Aurora should have been able to buy all that stuff nor the guy in Arizona). I don't have a problem with requiring universal background checks. Or limiting the size of clips. Or studies to see how gun violence affects America. But you are not going to stop things like the Newtown shooting and you are not going to take my AR-15 and there are hundreds of thousands of them out here and you're not going to get them either. It's time to enforce the gun laws we have and stop pretending that passing more makes a damn bit of difference when what we have is not enforced.
  • stepped_in_it
    !
    Once again...we agree. Like I said before, NO one thing (ie...gun control) will stop these shootings from taking place. It's going to require a combination of things to lessen the chances....and that will only lessen them, not eliminate them! Spot on!!
  • jessejaymes
    !
    @DARSB Well at one time I thought it might but after owning business locations in what can be described as "ghetto's" for 30 years I have come to the conclusion that the people who shouldn't have guns are not going to sell back their guns. The only value I can see in a buy back is that these are guns that might not be stolen later. And here is my quandary. The people with legal guns in urban America need those guns to protect themselves from the home invasion thugs (very common in L.A.) with illegal guns. I have guns. I still have my CCL from when I owned a business. But I never carry. My guns are for home protection. I'm not giving them up. At age 66 I'm too old to fight.
  • stepped_in_it
    !
    @jessejaymes A buy back program seems to only get the legal and "unwanted" guns. Remember that buyback that recently took place. Had a "rocket launcher" trainer (believe was a 9mm) turned in. That had to be strictly a military item and from what I know, the military doesn't sell these things. So, how did it get to a private owner? And, what else is in the hands of the private sector. Wouldn't want to be a cop in cities like L.A., Chicago, N.Y......etc!
  • jessejaymes
    !
    @stepped_in_it Dude this a true story. years ago a guy walked in my store with a frigging laws rocket wanting to sell it. Where the hell does a civilian get a laws rocket? I pretended to need an hour to get the money, called a cop I knew and his ass was busted.

    On another front, in L.A. they busted an illegal Mexican for having a baby elephant in a storage shed and he was trying to sell it. They ran the zoo's of America and nobody was missing a baby elephant. So that elephant was brought into this country illegally. How do you do that? There is no point in banning guns. We can't stop a frigging elephant from strolling across the border.

  • View all 32 replies >

  • u
    Realthinker
    !
    Last week someone on this forum became downright abusive insisting the president would never issue executive orders regarding gun control. Well evidently he is going to issue 19 orders so he can bypass the lawful perogative of Congress to make law.
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    Well, I'm not sure who you mean, but speaking for mysrlf what I said was that saying he would issue executive orders meant the second amendment advocates had essentially won because the orders could acheive very limited stuff, other then better enforcement of existing laws and tinkering around the edges. Reading this confirms that.
  • u
    Realthinker
    !
    @PoliticalSpice I really do not remember who said it. I am waiting to see just what is in these orders. They are unlawful the instant they are signed and I am skeptical about his using restraint. If that was what he wanted he could request Congress act. I think he may use this to gauge just how much backbone Congress has. Then he will know what else he can get by with, like issuing blanket amnesty to every illegal.
  • Denizen_Kate
    !
    This article states only that there are 19 possible executive orders, and from that you infer "Well evidently he is going to issue 19 orders so he can bypass the lawful perogative of Congress to make law." smh. Fly off the handle much?
  • o
    OhWiseOne
    !
    The minute he signs those executive orders is the minute impeachment procedures should begin. He's clearly overstepping his authority as president. He is not our Lord, our king, or our dictator and someone should remind him of that.
  • twinertia
    !
    Where were you when King George I used HIS executive order power to ban specific firearms after the Stockton, CA school shooting? Or Clinton's executive orders banning certain imported weapons back in '98 and '01?
  • Denizen_Kate
    !
    @OhWiseOne - Twinertia is asking a very good question. Did you call for GW Bush's impeachment after his executive gun control order? Or Clinton's for the same reason? I'd really like to know. Also please bear in mind that Obama has yet to issue any executive orders, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.

  • View all 18 replies >

  • stepped_in_it
    !
    HMMM.....having problems with equal rights for all? Or do we think we are better than the ones protected by these (3) pieces of legislation?
  • stepped_in_it
    !
    @OhWiseOne HMMM.... eye for an eye just leads to all but one being blind....and the last one has no depth perception (due to having only one eye).
    Wouldn't it be wiser Oh Wise One to battle the battles you can win and not the ones that not only you will lose but takes everyone with you?
  • o
    OhWiseOne
    !
    @stepped_in_it Your opinion. My opinion is that what you are expressing right now is a big part of the reason that America is in decline. The left does not compromise their principles and I don't either.

  • View all 6 replies >

  • jessejaymes
    !
    I find it interesting that those who are against executive order are always those from "the other party". Bush II used executive order constantly. So do most Presidents when we have our usual do nothing pigs at a trough Congresses. You should be against executive order regardless of who is president or vice versa. But that's not how America works today is it?
  • u
    AceLuby
    !
    He really needs to stop w/ the executive orders. Bush took it to a new level and now Obama doesn't want to let it go. We need to stop bastardizing the govt and take REAL steps to end the Empire.
  • Waynestew
    !
    I keep trying to tell people Obama is more like Bush. But the right hate him so much, and loved Bush so much they don't want to admit it.
  • u
    AceLuby
    !
    @Waynestew He's definitely continued the Bush regime, not that either McCain or Romney would have stopped it either, but the power of the President, and more importantly, the power of the US Empire needs to be put in check. It's costing us billions in debt, strips US citizens of their rights, and perpetuates a constant war.

    People keep talking about WW3 as if we haven't been fighting a world war since WW2. There has been almost no time when we weren't involved in some sort of conflict.
  • Your_Name_Here
    !
    Only if he removes firearms from the Secret Service and Washington PD. Let's take them away from the Bloomberg and Cuomo armed posse as well. Funny how people who want to restrict guns are armed to the hilt. How about leading by example?
  • Quantummist
    !
    "This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future."
    - Adolf Hitler
  • u
    Cheenoguy
    !
    Guess you missed out on history class huh? The Nazi regime actually decreased gun regulation. It wouldn't have mattered if they didn't. The Germans wanted the NAZIs in power.
  • u
    Cheenoguy
    !
    @Quantummist
    You do that the NAZIs were right wingers right? Socialism is to the left.

    And I know this is hard for you to understand but gun regulation is not socialism.
  • Quantummist
    !
    @Cheenoguy ... Actually both NAZIsim and Fascism are end results of Socialism... They are as Far Left as you can get....

    Socialism cannot work except as a Theory... Once put into place Reality comes into play as those implementing control required meet a large portion of the population that refuse to give up what they consider Theirs for the good of the community. At some point Totalitarian Control must be implemented by a centralized authority to quell the populace when they find the Theory does not match the Reality and NAZIism and Fascism (Totalitarian Control) are born.....

    "When you give your Individual Power to a Government you Adore do not be surprised when that power is used by a Government you Abhor" - Q

  • View all 21 replies >

  • DerivePI
    !
    Just because Obama got his checker to the other side doesn't mean he gets to make the rules now.

    Two outcomes:
    1. We wait 2 years for all of these extraconstitutional actions to be dismissed by the Supreme Court (barring any Executive = Legislative misinterpretations from our chief)
    2. We all just ignore them from the get go.
  • AlexMIA
    !
    The net is being dropped over everyone and they don't even know it. Support your local NRA and vote against anybody having anything to do with gun control bans. You want back ground and mental health records fine. But if any of you think it's ok for them to tell you, you can't have an assault rifle or high capacity clips then you really don't understand why you even have a second amendment.
  • Waynestew
    !
    Obama needs to tread lightly. Some actions might need further debate to convince Congress and the American people. Everyone should agree on these:

    "requiring federal agencies to improve the sharing of mental health records, directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct research on gun violence, and strengthening enforcement of existing laws"

    These actions should not be up for debate as they seem like common sense solutions.
  • R Load more comments...