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              Obama to Roll Out 'Commonsense' Gun Control Actions

   by William Gallo

   U.S. President Barack Obama is set to announce several new measures
   meant to reduce gun violence, bypassing Congress on an issue that has
   sharply divided the American public.

   The executive actions to be rolled out at a White House address Tuesday
   will require more gun sellers to get licenses and more gun buyers to
   undergo background checks.

   The measures will also tighten enforcement of existing gun laws,
   increase mental health treatment, and expand research into gun safety
   technology.

   ''
   Steps will 'potentially save lives'

   Speaking ahead of his formal announcement, Obama stressed the measures
   are "not going to solve every violent crime in this country." But he
   said the steps will "potentially save lives and spare families the pain
   of these extraordinary losses."

   Obama, a Democrat, for months has said he is looking into ways to
   reduce gun violence unilaterally without having to go through a
   Congress led by his Republican rivals who defeated his earlier, more
   ambitious gun control proposals.

   Defending his plan Monday, Obama said the new rules fall "well within"
   his legal authority as president. "They are also ones the overwhelming
   majority of the American people, including gun owners, support and
   believe in," he added.

   ''
   WATCH: Candidates speak out on gun control

   ''GOP reaction

   Republicans, who generally oppose gun control measures, have reacted
   angrily to the president's proposals. Many Republican presidential
   candidates have already said they will reverse the rules if they are
   elected.

   GOP frontrunner Donald Trump told CNN Monday Obama's proposals were the
   first step toward tighter restrictions on gun owners, saying: "Pretty
   soon you won't be able to get guns. It's another step in the way of not
   getting guns."

   House Speaker Paul Ryan called the proposals a "dangerous level of
   executive overreach," and said the president is "at minimum subverting
   the legislative branch, and potentially overturning its will."

   The National Rifle Association, a powerful gun rights lobbying group,
   also vowed to look into the new rules to see if they would challenge
   them in court. However, an NRA spokeswoman quoted in The New York Times
   appeared to downplay the significance of the measures.

   "This is it, really?" said NRA official Jennifer Baker, according to
   the Times. "This is what they've been hyping for how long now? This is
   the proposal they've spent seven years putting together? They're not
   really doing anything."

   ''More background checks

   One key element of Obama's plan is a measure that will widen the
   definition of a gun dealer. The White House hopes this will require
   more businesses selling firearms, including at gun shows, to get a
   license and therefore be required to conduct background checks.

   "We intend to make this system more efficient and make it more
   comprehensive," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. "The goal is
   keeping bad actors away from firearms and also to make it easier for
   authorities to make sure that the gun laws are properly followed and
   enforced."

   Part of the effort also includes increasing by 50 percent the number of
   FBI personnel who staff the national background check system, said
   Lynch.

   ''Public opinion

   Recent polls show an increase in the number of Americans who support
   background checks on those seeking to purchase a firearm.

   A new survey by Webster's research center found that 85 percent of gun
   owners believe there should be background checks for every individual
   seeking to buy a gun.

   Each year, tens of thousands of people are killed by guns in the United
   States, including in mass shootings and suicides, committed at far
   greater rates than in other countries around the world.

   The issue has typically become the center of public debate following
   mass shootings that have occurred at a shocking pace in recent years.

   ''
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   trol-actions/3131766.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-to-roll-out-commonsense-gun-control-actions/3131766.html