Obama unveils sweeping gun reforms, 23 executive actions

Obama unveils sweeping gun reforms, 23 executive actions

By Steve Benen

Pundits who predicted a month ago that President Obama wouldn't have the political courage to take on the gun lobby and try to change the politics surrounding the status quo were mistaken.

President Barack Obama unveiled sweeping new policies Wednesday aimed at limiting gun violence, teeing up a political showdown that will pit the broad public popularity for many gun control measures against Congress's tepid appetite for approving the most stringent restrictions on gun ownership.

"While there is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, no piece of legislation that will prevent every tragedy, every act of evil," Obama said at a mid-day announcement at the White House, "if there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we have an obligation to try it."

The list of proposals from Vice President Biden's task force on gun violence is not short, but it includes universal background checks, a ban on "military-style" assault weapons, limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, and strengthening existing penalties for gun trafficking.

The president also took 23 executive actions -- which will not require congressional approval -- though nearly all are fairly modest in scope. They include providing gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers, nominating an ATF director (the Senate has refused to confirm an ATF director for six years), informing state health officials about the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover, and launching "a national dialogue ... on mental health."

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As the next phase begins in earnest, there will be plenty of speculation about what, if anything, can get through Congress, but in the meantime, it's worth appreciating the president's ambition on stemming the tide of gun violence. Obama didn't narrow his focus to a few ideas in the hopes that modesty might win over skeptics, he swung for the fences, unveiling "the most sweeping effort at gun control policy reform in a generation."

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/16/16546317-obama-unveils-sweeping-gun-reforms-23-executive-actions