Obama said gun deaths in Connecticut dropped 40 percent after the state required background checks and gun safety courses.
President Barack Obama announced a series of executive actions on Tuesday intended to combat gun violence. His plans would require background checks for guns bought from dealers even if they're purchased online or at gun shows.
The long-awaited executive announcement includes steps aimed at curbing gun violence despite opposition in Congress to new gun laws.
It's time "not to debate the last mass shooting, but to try to prevent the next one," Obama said during his announcement on Tuesday.
Obama highlighted Connecticut during his speech. He said that gun deaths in the state dropped 40 percent after it required background checks and gun safety courses. In contrast, he said, gun deaths in Missouri rose to almost 50 percent above the national average after some gun laws were repealed.
Tears were visible on Obama's face as he referenced the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
Governor Dannel Malloy and Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty were at the White House for the event, along with State Senator Beth Bye and several other elected officials.
Also joining the president were members of families who lost a child at the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012.
"It will potentially save lives in this country and spare families the pain and the extraordinary loss that they've suffered as a consequence of a firearm being in the hands of the wrong people," the president said Monday.
NPR's Two-Way blog reports the president's plan rests on four main points. From the post:
- Background Checks: Require all gun sellers — including online and at gun shows — to have a license and perform background checks. Have the FBI overhaul the existing background-check system.
- Enforcement: Improve the use of America's existing gun laws, and add 200 new agents to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
- Mental Health: Remove barriers that can keep states from reporting and sharing information about people barred from owning guns for mental health reasons, and spend $500 million to increase access to mental health care.
- Technology: Push for research in gun safety technology, such as "smart guns" that can only be fired by authorized users. The research would be done by the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security. The White House notes the federal government is "the single largest purchaser of firearms in the country."
Esty and Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy were among the federal lawmakers who met on Monday with Obama and were briefed on the details of his executive order.
Connecticut's Democratic congressional delegation is supportive of the executive orders. "For far too long, Congress has failed to act because of the impact of the powerful gun lobby and I applaud the President for doing all he can to stop these tragedies before they affect another American community," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro in a statement.
.@POTUS is right: Wayne LaPierre & the gun lobby are holding Congress hostage. It's time to break their hold to #StopGunViolence
— Rep. John Larson (@RepJohnLarson) January 5, 2016
These actions reflect the vast majority of Americans, who believe that if you want to buy a gun you should prove you're not a criminal.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 5, 2016
Updated guidance says the government can consider someone a gun dealer regardless of where the guns are sold. The guidance aims to narrow the gun show loophole. Only federally licensed gun dealers must now conduct background checks on buyers.
The White House said the FBI will hire 230 more examiners to process background checks. It's an attempt to speed up the process so buyers don't fall through the cracks.
This report includes information from The Associated Press and NPR.
