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WASHINGTON -- President Obama on Wednesday unveiled a broad array of executive actions and legislative proposals to curb gun violence, including a new push to ban assault weapons, impose a 10-round limit on ammunition magazines, and expand background checks for gun purchasers.
At a White House event, the president began to outline 23 separate actions he can take unilaterally, including authorizing research on gun violence and nominating a full-time director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The president will call on Congress to swiftly pass a series of proposals that would, among other things, go beyond closing the gun show loophole that exempts some sellers from running criminal background checks, and enact stiffer penalties for gun traffickers.
The proposals are based on recommendations from a task force led by Vice President Joe Biden and represent, administration aides say, a forceful follow-through on a commitment Obama made in the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month.
All 23 of President Obama’s gun policy proposals
All told, aides said in advance of the president's remarks, Obama's package addresses four key goals: keeping guns out of the wrong hands, keeping “weapons of war” off the streets, making schools safer, and improving mental health services.
Proposals will also include federal funding to allow local communities to hire 1,000 school resource officers and counselors, which would include trained police officers in the nation’s schools.
The sweeping response, announced on the eve of Obama’s inauguration for a second term, is the product of 22 meetings, led by the vice president’s office, involving 220 organizations. It comes two weeks ahead of the administration’s self-imposed deadline.
The administration proposals face an uphill climb in Congress, particularly the Republican-controlled House, but also in the Senate. But the White House says it has public opinion on its side and will harness it in order to get something passed.
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“There have been members of Congress in both parties that, in a reaction to the terrible tragedy that we all witnessed in Newtown, have publicly stated that they are reconsidering their policy views on these issues. And that is the reason why the president wants to push hard on this, that we do have an opportunity here,” said one administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, in advance of the president’s announcement.
“We are going to work with people across the spectrum, members of both parties, and everyone in this debate to get as much done as we possibly can.”
[For the Record, 9:28 a.m. Jan. 16: An earlier version of this online post incorrectly called the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.]
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