White House Turning to Governors to Boost Gun Agenda

The White House is courting the nation's governors and other officials to push for the president's gun control plans, with Vice President Joe Biden leading talks about better enforcing gun laws at state and local letters.

"I think what people are realizing, and I have realized as governor, is that we have a tremendous number of tools at our disposal to take action," Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who signed an executive order of his own on guns in his state in October, told USA Today.

The White House has been supportive, McAuliffe said, and he thinks that's because "they realize that when  they're stymied at the congressional level, that governors are willing to step up."


President Barack Obama has not been able to get his strategy on gun control through Congress, and Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the talks with state and local officials are focusing on "steps they can take to try to reduce gun violence in their communities."

Obama has also used outreach to states on other agenda items, like raising the minimum wage, expanding preschools, and offering more affordable options for colleges,

The liberal Center for American Progress on Tuesday will release a report outlining 28 things that the nation's governors and other leaders can do to better enforce already-existing gun control laws, including investigating failed background checks, increasing the use of gun tracing, and funding research at the state level on the causes of violence.

The center is founded by John Podesta, a former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton who now chairs Hillary Clinton's campaign organization.

Some states are already considering what they can do, including in Connecticut, where Gov. Dan Malloy said last week that he could issue an executive order to ban people on the federal "no-fly" list from buying a gun.

The National Rifle Association, and other opponents arguing against that step, as there are errors on the list, and they say a ban would be unconstitutional because people can get on the list even if they're not convicted of a crime.

Earnest said state and local strategies do have shortcomings, because "sometimes it can be a little too easy for somebody to just drive right outside that jurisdiction, purchase a firearm that may be prohibited in the city, and drive back into the city and carry out an act of violence."

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