Obama's Gun Control Orders - much ado about nothing?
With tears in his eyes, the President announced his new gun control executive orders. But why all the fuss?
On the one hand, the things President Obama is ordering would not have prevented any of the mass shootings that he's concerned about. The possible exception is making the mental health lists available to be considered when background checks occur.
On the other hand, those who claim the Executive Orders are illegal are not 100% correct. Some things may be. But adding people to do a task within the Administration, as the President is doing by assigning more people within the FBI to do background checks is within the power of the Executive Branch, so long as their is money available appropriated by Congress. So those saying the Orders are illegal are overstating the case.
By the way, one wonders where the extra people President Obama is going to assign within the FBI to do background checks are coming from. What other duties is he pulling them off of in order to do that work?
Nevertheless, the most valid arguments I've heard have been from Chris Christie and Jeb Bush who both, as Governor's, worked with their Legislatures to pass Gun Control legislation. That route allows multiple voices to be heard and for legislation to pass that represents those views. It also demonstrates that Executives can work with diverse legislative bodies and the pro and anti gun lobbies to get things done.
Why has President Obama been unable to do the same?
On the one hand, the things President Obama is ordering would not have prevented any of the mass shootings that he's concerned about. The possible exception is making the mental health lists available to be considered when background checks occur.
On the other hand, those who claim the Executive Orders are illegal are not 100% correct. Some things may be. But adding people to do a task within the Administration, as the President is doing by assigning more people within the FBI to do background checks is within the power of the Executive Branch, so long as their is money available appropriated by Congress. So those saying the Orders are illegal are overstating the case.
By the way, one wonders where the extra people President Obama is going to assign within the FBI to do background checks are coming from. What other duties is he pulling them off of in order to do that work?
Nevertheless, the most valid arguments I've heard have been from Chris Christie and Jeb Bush who both, as Governor's, worked with their Legislatures to pass Gun Control legislation. That route allows multiple voices to be heard and for legislation to pass that represents those views. It also demonstrates that Executives can work with diverse legislative bodies and the pro and anti gun lobbies to get things done.
Why has President Obama been unable to do the same?
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