President Barack Obama on Tuesday detailed the series of executive orders he is prepared to sign, bypassing Congress and instituting new gun-control measures on his own authority. The orders, which the White House summarized here, cover a range of initiatives—including expanding background checks to private sellers deemed “high-volume,” as well as increasing funding and resources for law enforcement and the background check system. The president is also calling for the departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security to intervene in the development and implementation of so-called “smart-gun” technology.
The NRA Institute for Legislative Action released a statement responding to the president’s announcement. It reads, in part:
The proposed executive actions are ripe for abuse by the Obama administration, which has made no secret of its contempt for the Second Amendment. The NRA will continue to fight to protect the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed under our Constitution. We will not allow law-abiding gun owners to be harassed or intimidated for engaging in lawful, constitutionally protected activity—nor will we allow them to become scapegoats for President Obama's failed policies.
