At least one presidential candidate is aggressively addressing gun violence:
WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton will call Monday for substantial new limits on the availability and distribution of firearms, stepping aggressively into the debate over gun control in the wake of last week's mass shooting at a community college in Oregon.
The former secretary of state will outline four specific proposals during a pair of town hall events in New Hampshire, all of which are sure to inspire intense opposition from gun rights advocates. One of the proposals will put her directly at odds with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), her top competitor for the Democratic presidential nomination.
At the top of the list is a pledge to take administrative action if Congress fails to tighten the so-called gun show and Internet sales loopholes. Under current law, licensed dealers are required to conduct background checks and certify that potential buyers are not prohibited from owning guns. But unlicensed vendors, including some individual sellers at gun shows, don’t have to go through these steps.
Clinton plans to call for lawmakers to address the issue. But if they don't, she will require that anyone “attempting to sell a significant number of guns be deemed ‘in the business of selling firearms,’” which would “ensure that high-volume gun sellers are covered by the same common sense rules that apply to gun stores -- including requiring background checks on gun sales.” Asked what would constitute “a significant number of guns,” a Clinton aide responded, “There are a number of studies being conducted currently regarding illegal gun sales that could inform an eventual rulemaking.”
According to a fact sheet, Clinton would also call on Congress to repeal a federal statute signed by former President George W Bush that granted broad legal protections to gun manufacturers and dealers in both state and federal court. Citing the disproportionate number of deaths among young black males, Clinton’s campaign said she would also crack down on dealers who knowingly supply straw purchasers and traffickers with illegal weapons.
Clinton, a longtime and staunch advocate for stricter gun laws, also embraced proposals to prevent domestic abusers and the mentally ill from acquiring firearms and backed classifying straw purchasing as a federal crime.
