Following the mass shooting that occurred in San Bernardino, California, on Dec. 2, 2015, U.S. President Barack Obama has announced his plans to implement a new gun control scheme. However, legal experts and other politicians doubt if Obama will be able to enforce this new order.
One of the proposals of the gun control program is to require licensed firearms dealers to carry out strict background checks on potential customers. In addition, sellers who are unlicensed, such as small time dealers and that conduct transactions online, will be asked to secure the proper documentations first before operating, Reuters has learned.
Under this new law, the President is hoping to curb to limit the number of gun owners in the country. Through background checks, those who are mentally ill or have psychological problems will not be allowed to purchase firearms.
But, despite Obama's intentions of fostering a safer environment through gun control, legal experts believe that he will have a hard time passing the law. For one, he is targeting to bypass the approval of the U.S. Congress by implementing the gun control scheme as an executive order.
Experts think other politicians and pro-gun groups could file lawsuit against the government to block the proposal by stating that Obama does not have the authority to make such an order. In addition, as noted by the Los Angeles Times, critics could argue that the gun control measures violates the Second Amendment, which grants people the right to own firearms.
Presidential candidates for the Republicans, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Donald Trump, fired off at Obama regarding his proposal, according to the Washington Post. Many of them likened the President to a dictator who enforces his own rules without the approval of his peers. They also noted that once elected, they will immediately overturn Obama's executive order if it gets passed.
The other details regarding the gun control scheme are still unclear but Obama is scheduled to meet with U.S. General Attorney Loretta Lynch today. The two will reportedly discuss which gun control proposals the former can implement as executive orders.
