President Barack Obama has been an advocate of stricter gun control laws since he took office in 2008, but didn’t take steps to propose any new action until his second term.
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In his first term, the President didn’t sign any bills limiting the purchase or use of firearms. In contrast, he signed two bills into law that actually extended gun-owners’ rights, including one that allows them to carry in national parks and another that permits Amtrak passengers to pack guns in their checked baggage.
During his first term, his position on gun ownership was arguably more conciliatory than oppositional: "In this country, we have a strong tradition of gun ownership that's handed from generation to generation. Hunting and shooting are part of our national heritage. And, in fact, my administration has not curtailed the rights of gun owners - it has expanded them, including allowing people to carry their guns in national parks and wildlife refuges," he said in 2011,
according to an article on About.com
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The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., during his second term spurred the Obama to propose sweeping changes to current gun control laws. "It has been two months since Newtown. This is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. But this time is different,"
he said in his February 2013 State of the Union address, posted on OntheIssues.org.
Many pro-gun advocates vowed to oppose his new slate of changes and in April 2013, all of his new measures were defeated in Congress,
reported The Washington Post.
This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws before purchasing or traveling with a firearm.
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