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Subscribe to RSSUpdated 1:05 pm -- President Barack Obama will publicly announce his gun-safety proposals on Wednesday, with new recommendations, including some executive actions in addition to legislative proposals like a ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines.
"Tomorrow, the president and the vice president will hold an event here at the White House to unveil a package of concrete proposals to reduce gun violence and prevent future tragedies like the one in Newtown, Connecticut," White House spokesman Jay Carney said during a briefing Tuesday afternoon.
President Obama and Vice President Biden will announce a package of gun control proposals in response to the Connecticut school massacre, says White House spokesman Jay Carney.
Carney said that the president will be joined at the 11:45 a.m. event by children from around the country who wrote the White House with concerns about gun violence in the wake of the Newtown school shootings that left 20 children dead.
He added that the president has previously backed a "comprehensive approach" including an assault weapons ban and a measure to ban high-capacity clips, but he stressed that both items will require congressional action.
"The president will take a comprehensive approach, but it is a simple fact that there are limits on what can be done within existing law and Congress has to act on the kinds of measures that we've already mentioned, because the power to do that is reserved by Congress," Carney said of the need for "significant" action on gun control measures.
The president met with Vice President Joe Biden Monday - a day ahead of schedule - to discuss the Biden-led task force's recommendations after the group's series of meetings with stakeholders in the gun violence debate.
Congressional officials familiar with the task force meetings said late Monday that Biden and his staff have developed 19 areas where Obama could use executive orders to institute new gun control policy.
Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images
President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference in the East Room of the White House on January 14, 2013 in Washington.
The possible executive actions were not listed to the members of Congress who attended a Monday White House meeting, but officials said Biden mentioned new avenues for gun violence research as well as the strengthening of existing gun laws. Options pertaining to mental health were also mentioned.
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The measures potentially implemented by executive action would be different than legislation regarding a possible assault weapons ban or a large magazine ban that may be introduced in Congress, officials said.
Conservatives have raised strong objections to the idea of any executive actions on the part of the White House, saying that the president's efforts constitute a violation of the Second Amendment.
Freshman Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, has even threatened to introduce articles of impeachment.
"Any proposal to abuse executive power and infringe upon gun rights must be repelled with the stiffest legislative force possible,” he said in a statement. “Under no circumstances whatsoever may the government take any action that disarms any peaceable person — much less without due process through an executive declaration without a vote of Congress or a ruling of a court.”
But Democrats have pushed back at the notion that any executive action would affect gun ownership or rights, saying that unilateral action from the White House will merely reinforce current laws rather than creating new ones.
"There are many (options), but they all are directing federal agencies to increase or to activate more aggressively on items that already exist in the law," Rep Chaka Fattah, D-Penn., told NBC News. "The notion that he's circumventing Congress is not accurate at all."
Fattah was not at the meeting with Biden, but he said his staff was in attendance.
NBC's Carrie Dann contributed to this report.
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Oh us gun owners just got the shimmy shakes all over on Obama's upcoming executive orders on gun control. He really can't do much..maybe put a tax on bullets becasue they contain lead and pollute the environment. That was tried in Illinois without much success. I guess he has to do something to prove he cares, but he is blatantly ignorant of what works and what doesn't. Better to let the boys and girls in Congress come up with some practical and fact based proposals rather than trying to appeal to his base.
Then he has to tax everything with lead, batteries, x-ray vests, you name it. Even less he can do. Cant be a punitive tax.
Possibly Obama will take the opportunity to tell those kids his very first act to resolve the debt crisis will be to stop their grandparents Social Security checks. You know kids, from the 'fully funded' Social Security Trust Fund.
If you libs really want to do something about violent crime, stop drinking and driving. If you drink and drive and injure or kill someone you will be just as guilty as the perpetrator of any shooting crime. You are choosing to drive drunk which puts everyone at risk. There are some real similarities between gun culture and drinking culture. Both can be done safely. And both can kill.
Maybe you should be licensed to drink. Have a mental evaluation and genetic test to see if you will become an alcoholic and get a background check. The drinking license will be good for 5 years.
Sounds like a good idea to me. It wouldn't affect me since I don't drink..
Isn't that the mentality of the gun grabbers; "I don't own a gun so I'm fine with giving some other person's rights away. It isn't going to affect me."
one..
obviously you have NO mentality. nobody is asking you to give up your guns. Stop listening to the NRA and you might actually learn something.
Tell the President to be VERY careful about what Executive Orders he issues on Gun Legislation...
Joined by Children?
High Drama forthcoming.
Gov. Cuomo of New York made changes to there gun laws. Personally being a gun owner I have know problems with the changes. Actually it is a start, not a cure but a start. Hope Obama makes the same changes.
Just where will they stop?I have no problem with some changes closing 'the gun show loophole',reducing mag size etc.MARK ALL OF OUR WORDS.There will be continued 'tweaks' to the enhanced provisions til finally,some lefties might give pause and agree 'gee they're trying to take away our rights' [voted BHO x2]
The gun show loop hole is a lie all sales by licensed dealers at Gun shows have a background check.
but anywhere from 25% - 50% of the dealers are not licensed.
reelectobama is a registered idiot liberal know it all. He sits at his computer and looks up info to make himself seem smart and well educated. His belief is that we are just low class citizens that shouldn't have rights.
Actually I think Obama's Columbia and Harvard degrees CONFIRM he is a smart person. Now.....you thinking he thinks you are low class indicates more about how you see yourself. Think about it.
SALSAFOOL
Actually I'm a Christian conservative.I served my county in Viet Nam only to have the liberal democrats kick our legs out from under us at the cost of 58,000 lives. You don't have to be a Harvard degree to be smart and I will put my daughter up against any of you morons any time anywhere . I'm educated and work hard for what I have and I don't need fools like you try to take my rights away. As far as class goes I have more class than a loser like you would have ever.
Obama was so smart as a community organizer in Chicago, you can tell by the way the violent crime dropped in Chicago. (not)
What I found during the time I owned a business is that college educated people are smart but seem to be lacking in common sense. And that includes one of my sons so salsaforever, take your opinion and.....
The country most likely to get you killed when you're not involved in arms struggle, not Iraq, not Afghanistan, not Israel.. it's the US of A... nuff said.
Can you provide some proof to back up your ill informed statement Yus?
Crickets, crickets, crickets.
the United Guns of America has more killings by guns than all other civilized countries combined.
Dep- how do we rank on murders per capita. If you were to focus on the whole problem and not just the guns you will see the truth.
Maybe instead of children as a backdrop he can post photos of the 23 people murdered so far this year in his gun free utopian home city of Chicago.
Have you ever noticed how the Left doesn’t have any problems attacking or trying to limit the rights of something they don’t agree with?
I love how the Lefts come out and froth at the mouth whenever anyone mentions Voter ID laws, or placing limits on Abortion such as no late terms abortions, as If they are protecting the Rights of Individuals and are for the People.
Voting is only for U.S. Citizens, 15th Amendment to the Constitution;
"The right of U.S. citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.".
Notice it Says “U.S. Citizens”.
Whenever anyone proposes new voter ID laws the Left proclaims Racism, their trying to disenfranchise the poor, trying to suppress voters, steal elections, and even file lawsuits against States that pass Voter ID laws.
When it comes to gun control the left doesn’t have any problem with placing limits on guns and treating the Second Amendment with an Iron Fist.
What right does the Left have to complain about people protecting their Constitutionally Guaranteed right to bear arms when the Left fights every effort to make sure only U.S. Citizens are voting in our elections?
Abortion isn’t even a Right Protected in the Constitution. Show us in the Constitution where Abortion is a Right?
What right does the Left have to claim placing limits on Gun ownership, forcing people to register their weapons, limits on Magazine size, etc will save lives, and the lives of children, while they fight to protect a procedure, Abortion, that prematurely ends the lives of thousands of children each month?
The next time the Subject of Voter ID laws and Abortion come up I hope the Left is just as willing to accept limits placed on Abortion and ensuring only U.S. citizens can vote as adamantly as they do about placing limits and restrictions on guns and other peoples rights.
Obama doesn't care about the safety of our Children he really doesn't care about Gun's every day we are on about Gun control draws attention away from the abject failure that his regime actually is.
Is anybody working on a budget? A jobs bill?
Delaware is banning guns within 1000 feet of a school.
Wouldn't have stopped The Newtown shooter.
New york is banning High Capacity Magazines.
Wouldn't have stopped the Colorado Shooter.
It's against the law to shoot people on the street.
Didn't stop the Tucson shooter.
So what exactly are you grabbers on about?
"Banning" objects from Law abiding citizens will do nothing.
Having speed limits does not prevent every accident but it reduces the frequency. Great Britain has fewer PER CAPITA gun murders. Care to guess why?
England has a higher per capita murder rate than the U.S.
Salsaforever and dowhatisright may want to check out this graphic....
http://chartsbin.com/view/1454
These people think their "right" to have any type of weapon they want is more important than the lives of children. How selfish can you be? Truely saddens me.
This proposed gun legislation will affect every American, despite protestations and persuasion from the left. Also, despite comments to the contrary, the NRA did not single-handedly shoot down the 1994-2004 assault weapon ban renewal. We had a democrat majority in both houses and they did nothing. In fact, the opportunists are doing and pushing through legislative proposals on the tragic deaths of 26 people, including 20 children. It has little to do with gun control, but rather more on control, ignoring for the content and intent of the 2nd amendment and penalizes the vast majority of ordinary citizens who own or may want to own firearms. With apologies to Pogo, we have met the enemy, and he is US. I think these politicians forget that this is a constitutional democracy, and they were elected to serve the people who were foolish enough to elect them, and then, re-elect them. I look forward to the expected fallout during the mid-term elections and from hearing what the Supreme Court has to say about gross over-reaching during a second term, when constitutional issues and authority issues are addressed.
Curtis, you do realize that Antonin Scalia believes there are limits to the 2nd Amendment?
Average joe and the other far right gun fools, need to show me how hunting or protecting your self need be done with a combat type gun, or a clip that holds 100+ bullets. How insane do these folks have to be that the choice between the lives of six year olds is less important than their right to extreme fire arm ownership, by the mentally unstable. If your child, wife, grand child was killed by this over armed lunatic, would it change your mind, or would you insist on having more heavily armed volunteers at every school?
Lets use that part of your brain that appears to be dead, and do what is right. You still have the right to arm yourself, but you don't need a tank.
According to John Chapman an expert in defensive tactics who trains military, law enforcement and civilians the AR-15 chambered in 5.56mm NATO is Ideal for home defense as it is easy to point, has low recoil and is easy to train with. The 5.56mm round is less likely to over penetrate or pass through walls with enough energy left to seriously injure anyone on the other side unlike 00 buck from a standard shotgun. He suggests haveing no less than 40 rounds at the ready. Chapman is the founder and director of training for LMS Defense.
Under what currently active law passed by Congress could President Obama attempt to issue an Executive Order restricting the capacity of firearms magazines?
Since the ban that expired in 2004 was not renewed, is there any existing law that could be pointed at as having the spirit and intent of limiting magazine capacity?
If President Obama issues a magazine capacity restriction Executive Order without such an underlying law it would be clearly unconstitutional.
The NRA says it's the law, just following policies. Or it's business and money. And they walk away from it. But good people do what is morally right. But David Keene and Wayne LaPierre will have to answer to GOD one day in hell.
Down comes a Boot!
About time they cleaned up the fiasco that called itself gun laws.. Perhaps now there will be fewer bad guys with guns, and good guys wont feel like they need to pack one in their shorts as a stand-in for you know what..
pffft.. we'll just go to Mexico and get the assault weapons that we already gave them from fast and furious.. after all, no one died from that.... right??
Obama isnt my president, any sack of @!$%# that doesn't defned the Constitution needs to be taken out and shot along with that piece of @!$%# from Delaware Biden and his whole scumbag family.
Wow!!!!????
Ths blog is going no where fast. I expected every looney liberal to have posted here before I even logged on. I am even surprised the conservative side hasn't used this as an open blog tonight. Where did I miss the " Big story "??
I'll check back in later.
President Obama is perhaps the greatest president that the United States has ever had in office. I propose a constitutional amendment allowing this president to serve four terms, totally sixteen years, so that this great man can continue to lead our nation into a future full of hope and progress.
I hope this is sarcasm.....
Most likely it will be: encase my guns in concrete and sink the encapsulation in the Marianas trench!