President Obama’s announced to the American public that one of his resolutions for 2016 was to take action on limiting gun violence. That action will likely come in the form of increased regulation on background checks for firearm purchases.
He is very likely to use an Executive Order to put the changes in place, bypassing Congressional approval. This type of action is one of the few remaining ways that the President can still wield power as his term reaches its end.
Currently, firearm dealers who sell occasionally for the purposes of a personal hobby or collection are not required to be registered with the Federal Government.
How the President will Focus on Background Checks
According to the Washington Post, “the idea of requiring informal gun dealers to obtain a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and of conducting background checks came up two years ago when White House officials drafted a proposal for dealers who sell at least 50 guns annually.”
It’s very likely that the President will again focus on tightening requirements for background checks for firearm sales at this level. He’ll meet with Attorny General Loretta Lynch on Monday to discuss to what extent we’ll use his executive powers.
What Advocates for Restrictions Are Saying
Those in favor of the actions say that expanding background check requirements will help smaller gun dealers stop those restricted from purchasing firearms to obtain them.
They claim that these efforts increase safety for Americans by keeping guns out of the wrong hands.
Opposition is growing, and they say that, looking back, background checks would not have prevented recent gun violence.
Many are quick to point out that recent shooting violence has been done with firearms legally obtained by purchasers who underwent federal background checks.
Those who argue against expanded background checks point out that mental illness and terrorism have been consistently behind acts of mass violence, not gun purchases between collectors.
No matter what form his executive decisions end up taking, he’ll still ignite both controversy and gun sales. His proclamations of increased gun control have earned President Obama the nickname “The best gun salesman in history”.
Republican presidential candidates have spoken out, saying that any Executive actions President Obama makes will be ceremoniously deleted, or “unsigned”, if they take office. With such opposition, many are questioning just how effective Obama’s actions can really be.
