In October, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, claimed that 380 Americans had been killed in 294 mass shootings. From San Bernardino to Oregon, a new display of unspeakable violence seems to appear in the news almost every month. While Congress declined to pass what many labeled as "common sense measures" to curb gun violence, such as mandatory background checks for gun purchases made online, President Barack Obama has taken it upon himself to try to mitigate this horrible problem. In a speech from the East Room of the White House, surrounded by victims of mass shootings, Obama tearfully announced a series of modest steps he will take, under executive authority, to fight gun violence.
Obama began crying after he conjured the image of those who perished in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting. "First graders," he said, wiping tears. "Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad."
The President announced that he would seek to expand those subject to background checks by clarifying an existing gun control measure. He also said the government would hire more officials to conduct background checks, gun research programs, domestic violence prosecutions, and improved tracking of lost guns.
In response to the President's actions, Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, said, "From Day 1, the president has never respected the right to safe and legal gun ownership that our nation has valued since its founding. He knows full well that the law already says that people who make their living selling firearms must be licensed, regardless of venue...No matter what President Obama says his word does not trump the Second Amendment. We will conduct vigilant oversight. His executive order will no doubt be challenged in the courts. Ultimately, everything the president has done can be overturned by a Republican president, which is another reason we must win in November."
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