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Hillary Clinton's Gun-Control Proposals to Include Executive Action

DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC. 12:00 AM ET 10/05/15


WASHINGTON-- Hillary Clinton plans to lay out a series of measures that would tighten regulations on gun sales through a combination of legislation and the use of executive power, in the wake of the shootings at an Oregon community college, a Clinton aide said.

Mrs. Clinton was expected to lay out her agenda at a pair of town hall meetings in New Hampshire on Monday, a sign that gun control has become less politically toxic for Democrats than it once was.

Gun control marks a rare issue where Mrs. Clinton's views are more liberal than those of Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who is challenging her for the nomination from the left. Leaning into the issue may help her win over liberal Democrats.

Mrs. Clinton planned to call on Congress to overturn a 2005 law that bars victims of gun violence from suing gun manufacturers. Mr. Sanders supported that law when he served in the House.

Mrs. Clinton also plans to back proposals to bar gun sellers from completing sales if background checks are still underway. Under current law, sellers are allowed to complete a sale after three business days even if a background check hasn't cleared.

Advocates call this the "Charleston loophole," because the man who gunned down churchgoers in Charleston, S.C., was sold a gun after three days without the go-ahead from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Mrs. Clinton's newest idea is to use executive authority to expand the definition of who is "in the business" of selling firearms to include any person trying to sell a significant number of guns, the Clinton aide said.

"This would ensure that high-volume gun sellers are covered by the same common-sense rules that apply to guns stores--including requiring background checks on gun sales," the aide said.

"We can't wait any longer to act on gun-violence prevention," Mrs. Clinton said Sunday on Twitter.

President Barack Obama has emphasized that Congress needs to act, and it was unclear whether, as president, Mrs. Clinton could get further on her own. Current law allows someone who owns guns as a hobby to sell them without conducting background checks, and defining who technically is in business is complicated.

Tackling gun control has long been politically dicey. Mr. Obama, who also supported gun-control measures as a candidate for president, didn't tackle the issue until after his re-election in 2012. He took on the matter after 20 children and six adults were killed at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., but the legislation failed in Congress.

Last week, Mr. Obama spoke passionately about the need for more gun restrictions, vowing to continue pressing the matter.

But most Republicans remain strongly opposed, saying tighter laws would restrict gun rights without any impact on preventing crimes, and many see the odds of congressional action as poor.

The Clinton aide said the former secretary of state would also seek to expand the definition of a domestic abuser who is prohibited from buying a gun to include people in dating relationship and convicted stalkers.

Mrs. Clinton has previously supported legislation restoring the ban on guns known as assault weapons and requiring universal background checks. She is expected to reiterate those positions Monday.

Mrs. Clinton's proposals may help highlight the differences between her and Mr. Sanders, her rival in the Democratic presidential race, who has a mixed record on gun legislation. When serving in the House, Mr. Sanders voted against the Brady Bill in 1993, which established mandatory background checks, and voted for the 2005 measure barring suits against gun makers. But he also supported legislation in 2013 that would have expanded background checks and banned high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.

As a presidential candidate, Mr. Sanders has said he supports common-sense regulations and thinks the solution must involve gun-control advocates and opponents talking to one another to find common ground.

"The president is right. Condolences are not enough," Mr. Sanders said in an interview with MSNBC last week. "We've got to do something...We need sensible gun-control legislation."

Another Democrat running for president, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is lagging well behind Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Sanders in the polls, has an aggressive set of gun-control proposals. Among other ideas, he would require that every person who buys a gun get a license and be fingerprinted.

"We can't say that, 'this is just how it is,'" he said Sunday in a speech in New Hampshire, where he challenged his rivals to adopt his plan. "There is not another advanced nation on this planet that puts as many of its sons and daughters in coffins from dying violent deaths from guns."

Write to Laura Meckler at [e-mail]

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

By Laura Meckler
WASHINGTON-- Hillary Clinton proposed a series of measures that would tighten regulations on gun sales through a combination of legislation and the use of executive power, in the wake of the shootings at an Oregon community college.

Mrs. Clinton was laying out her agenda at a pair of town-hall meetings in New Hampshire on Monday, a sign that gun control has become less politically toxic for Democrats than it once was.

At the first session, the Democratic front-runner for the 2016 presidential nomination cited statistics about the toll of gun violence and said she was determined to keep guns away from those who shouldn't have them and that even gun owners support restrictions such as background checks.

"I've got no problem with people who are responsible gun owners. There are millions of them," she said at a town hall in Hollis, N.H., broadcast live on NBC's "Today" show. But she added: "Let's do everything we can to make sure the irresponsible and the criminal and the mentally ill don't get guns."

Gun control marks a rare issue where Mrs. Clinton's views are more liberal than those of Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who is challenging her for the nomination from the left. Leaning into the issue may help her win over liberal Democrats.

The Clinton campaign laid out a robust gun-control agenda, including calling on Congress to overturn a 2005 law that bars victims of gun violence from suing gun manufacturers. Mr. Sanders supported that law when he served in the House.

Mrs. Clinton also backed proposals to bar gun sellers from completing sales if background checks are still under way. Under current law, sellers are allowed to complete a sale after three business days even if a background check hasn't cleared.

Gun-control advocates call this the "Charleston loophole," because the man who gunned down churchgoers in Charleston, S.C., was sold a gun after three days without the go-ahead from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Mrs. Clinton's newest idea is to use executive authority to expand the definition of who is "in the business" of selling firearms to include any person trying to sell a significant number of guns, a Clinton aide said.

"This would ensure that high-volume gun sellers are covered by the same common-sense rules that apply to guns stores--including requiring background checks on gun sales," the aide said.

President Barack Obama has emphasized that Congress needs to act, and it was unclear whether, as president, Mrs. Clinton could get further on her own.

Current law allows someone who owns guns as a hobby to sell them without conducting background checks, and defining who technically is in business is complicated.

Tackling gun control has long been politically dicey. Mr. Obama, who also supported gun-control measures as a candidate for president, didn't raise the issue until after his re-election in 2012. He took on the matter after 20 children and six adults were killed at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., but the legislation failed in Congress.

Last week, Mr. Obama spoke passionately about the need for more gun restrictions, vowing to continue pressing the matter.

But most Republicans remain strongly opposed, saying tighter laws would restrict gun rights without any impact on preventing crimes, and many see the odds of congressional action as poor.

The Clinton aide said the former secretary of state would also seek to expand the definition of a domestic abuser who is prohibited from buying a gun to include people in dating relationships and convicted stalkers.

Mrs. Clinton has previously supported legislation restoring the ban on guns known as assault weapons and requiring universal background checks.

Mrs. Clinton's proposals may help highlight the differences between her and Mr. Sanders, her rival in the Democratic presidential race, who has a mixed record on gun legislation.

When serving in the House, Mr. Sanders voted against the Brady Bill in 1993, which established mandatory background checks, and voted for the 2005 measure barring suits against gun makers. But he also supported legislation in 2013 that would have expanded background checks and banned high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.

As a presidential candidate, Mr. Sanders has said he supports common-sense regulations and thinks the solution must involve gun-control advocates and opponents talking to one another to find common ground.

"The president is right. Condolences are not enough," Mr. Sanders said in an interview with MSNBC last week. "We've got to do something...We need sensible gun-control legislation."

Another Democrat running for president, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is lagging well behind Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Sanders in the polls, has an aggressive set of gun-control proposals. Among other ideas, he would require that every person who buys a gun get a license and be fingerprinted.

"We can't say that, 'this is just how it is,'" he said Sunday in a speech in New Hampshire, where he challenged his rivals to adopt his plan. "There is not another advanced nation on this planet that puts as many of its sons and daughters in coffins from dying violent deaths from guns."

Write to Laura Meckler at [e-mail]

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


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10-05-150000ET
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