Paso Robles News|Friday, March 29, 2024
You are here: Home » Politics » Lois Capps supports Obama’s gun safety actions
  • Follow Us!

Lois Capps supports Obama’s gun safety actions 

President’s executive actions will strengthen gun safety standards, she says

Lois_Capps_2011_official_photo

Lois Capps

–Rep Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) this week issued the following statement after joining President Barack Obama at the White House for his announcement of executive actions to strengthen gun safety standards:

“Today I was honored to join President Obama as he announced new actions his administration will take to reduce gun violence. This plan is a modest but important step to reduce gun violence and protect our communities by strengthening the gun sale background check system and providing the resources necessary for more robust enforcement of existing gun safety laws. It was a meaningful moment where the President, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, father of a UCSB victim Richard Martinez, and so many others came together to highlight that we have lost far too many of our loved ones to gun violence and our nation can and must do better.

“While these actions are important efforts to make our nation safer, the President can only do so much on his own. In order to enact the meaningful change we need, Congress must act. Our local community is far too familiar with the pain that comes from senseless gun violence. The tragedy in Isla Vista is a constant reminder of the consequences of inaction. After that experience, our community came together to say Not One More. This cannot and must not be the end of our efforts to end the gun violence epidemic. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep our communities safe.”

The executive actions are designed to improve gun safety by:

  • Toughening background checks nationwide: The president’s executive actions provide new guidance on existing federal laws, clarifying that any individual in the business of selling firearms must obtain a license through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and therefore conduct background checks on prospective gun purchasers. These actions also include new measures and resources to make the background check system more efficient and effective.
  • Protecting communities with bolstered enforcement: The executive actions take new steps to promote smart and effective enforcement of our gun laws – including a proposed increase in funding for more ATF agents, greater resources for tracking illegal online firearms trafficking and strengthened domestic violence outreach efforts.
  • Improving mental health services: The President is proposing increased investment to expand access to mental health care. Further, the executive actions remove barriers that prevent the reporting of relevant mental health information to the background check system.
  • Driving new research into gun safety: The executive actions direct the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security to conduct or sponsor research into new technology to make firearms safer.

 

 

 

Share To Social Media

Comments

About the author: News Staff

The news staff of the Paso Robles Daily News wrote or edited this story from local contributors and press releases. The news staff can be reached at info@pasoroblesdailynews.com.