Rep. Ruben Gallego Applauds President Obama’s Executive Orders on Gun Control
Washington, D.C. – Today, President Obama announced he would take executive action on gun control. The new rules will require more gun sellers to be licensed and to conduct background checks and make it easier for authorities to hold irresponsible gun sellers accountable and to better track who owns guns. The plan will also increase mental health treatment and reporting and help shape the future of gun safety technology.
Rep. Ruben Gallego issued the following statement:
"I met with President Obama yesterday and was encouraged to hear about the actions he is taking to help address the epidemic of gun violence in this country. It is clear that his plan will help save lives by strengthening background checks, increasing enforcement of our gun laws, improving mental health care and fueling research to make guns safer.
"The plan announced today is a good first step to making our communities safer. But there is still more that can be done. It is now time for Congress to pick up where the White House left off and take additional action to protect our communities and keep our families safe.
"To start, Congress should pass the bipartisan King-Thompson legislation to further strengthen background checks and close loopholes so that criminals, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill don't have easy access to guns.
"Dysfunction in Washington is no excuse for inaction. We need to do our part to prevent more mass killings like the ones in Newtown, Connecticut; Aurora, Colorado; and Tucson, Arizona. We can and must do more to address this critical problem."
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