On Jan. 5, 2016, American President Barack Obama announced his executive plan to prevent further gun violence in the United States. His strategy focuses on new background check requirements, as well as greater education and enforcement efforts for existing laws at the state level. These new gun laws were designed to allow President Obama to bypass Congress if voting turned into a deadlock during the signing or if the votes were not in his favour.
Obama’s plan will also increase funding towards mental health facilities. Additionally, funding will also be used to speed up advancement for gun safety technology. His stance to tighten gun control access gained momentum after the Newtown, Connecticut mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. While President Obama acknowledged that he does not expect gun laws to change during his remaining year in office, he appears inclined to continue protesting this issue until the November 2016 federal election.
The executive plan to reduce gun violence is widespread, and designed to affect everyone from firearms retailers and buyers. Background checks target individuals attempting to buy and sell firearms, enforcing sellers to conduct background checks at gun shows, in-store, or online.
In a televised Jan. 8, 2016 speech, President Obama called out politicians transforming the gun control debate into a mental illness debate. In response, President Obama proposed that the administration invest $500 million to increase access to mental health facilities.
According to a recent Harvard study, mass shootings in America have increased since late September 2011, occurring roughly every 64 days. This statistic can be held in comparison to 1982, when mass shootings occurred roughly every 200 days.
This increase in mass shootings in America has gained widespread media attention, with representatives from both the Democratic and Republican parties split on President Obama’s stance on gun control. Those who oppose his plan argue that his new restrictions would violate their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms in self-defence. However, President Obama’s plan is not to eliminate the presence of firearms in America, but to tighten the reigns on those who would be able to purchase firearms. Rather then creating new legislation, he would reinterpret how the existing laws would apply to buyers and sellers of firearms.