Obama Sets Agenda on Gun Control; Encourages Congress to Act

President Barack Obama made decisive moved this Wednesday morning by declaring 23 executive actions, 33 days after the .

He also called upon Congress to take a tougher stance on gun control by requiring universal background checks including during private gun sales and to restore a ban on military-style assault weapons, and a 10-round limit for magazines.

"This is common sense," said Obama. "And an overwhelming majority of Americans agree with us on the need for universal background checks—including more than 70 percent of the National Rifle Association’s members, according to one survey. So there’s no reason we can’t do this."

The president emphasized licensed gun dealers are required to run background checks however, "40 percent of all gun purchases are conducted without a background check. That’s not safe. That's not smart. It’s not fair to responsible gun buyers or sellers."

The National Rifle Association issued a response Wednesday afternoon to President Obama's gun control proposals, while many Bay Area firearms dealers were unavailable for comment because they're at the Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Mountain View's gun dealer Bay Area Gun Vault, where a manager said the owner was at the SHOT Show in Vegas. Many California gun dealers are at the convention this week.

The response reads:

Throughout its history, the National Rifle Association has led efforts to promote safety and responsible gun ownership.  Keeping our children and society safe remains our top priority.

The NRA will continue to focus on keeping our children safe and securing our schools, fixing our broken mental health system, and prosecuting violent criminals to the fullest extent of the law.  We look forward to working with Congress on a bi-partisan basis to find real solutions to protecting America’s most valuable asset – our children.

Attacking firearms and ignoring children is not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation.  Only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy.

The gun control debate has heated up nationwide since the Dec. 14 where 20 children of ages 6 and 7 were gunned down by a man armed with a Bushmaster XM-15 rifle and semiautomatic handguns.

Additional reporting by Guy McCarthy.

Don't miss a thing in Mountain View!

Follow on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Get the daily newsletter | Post to our calendar | Share an announcement