Biden suggests White House could act without Congress as part of gun control plan


Published January 09, 2013

FoxNews.com




Vice President Biden suggested Wednesday that the White House could take unilateral action on gun control, as he kicked off a round of meetings aimed at finding ways to curb gun violence.

The vice president met Wednesday with gun-safety and victims groups, saying he is "determined" to take "urgent action" to address gun violence.

"This is not an exercise in photo opportunities or just getting to ask you all what your opinions are. We are vitally interested in what you have to say," Biden said.

The White House has sought to avoid prejudging what Biden's recommendations would be. But the vice president hinted Wednesday that executive action -- action by the president in which Congress would not have a say -- would indeed be involved.

"Executive action ... can be taken," Biden said, adding "we haven't decided what that is yet."

He also said separate legislative action would be "required."

Among the gun-advocacy groups attending the meeting Wednesday were Arizona for Gun Safety, the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, the Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus and Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

The vice president will hear from the other side of the gun-control debate Thursday, when the nation's leading gun lobby meets face to face with his task force in what could be a testy session. The National Rifle Association confirmed to Fox News that the group accepted an invitation to meet with the task force, which is running up against an end-of-the-month deadline to produce a set of proposals.

The administration says mental health and the entertainment industry will likely be examined as part of that process. Biden has also scheduled a meeting with representatives from the entertainment and video game industries. But much of the discussion, and proposals from Democratic members of Congress, continue to center around gun control. The meeting Wednesday with gun safety groups will likely focus on those kinds of proposals.

The NRA has been at the helm of fighting those proposals ever since the group broke its post-Connecticut silence and called for a national school security plan to install armed officers at every school in the country.

The White House and the NRA have found little common ground as the two groups craft separate responses to the tragedy.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney reiterated Tuesday that President Obama is "skeptical that putting more guns in schools would solve this problem."

It's unclear how the meeting Thursday will be structured. The NRA told Fox News that they are sending a representative to hear what the White House has to say. Carney, though, said the task force is "designed to get input" from others.

"Then the vice president's group will assess different actions," Carney said.

The Washington Post reported over the weekend that President Obama was considering measures beyond reinstating a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. According to the paper, the task force is considering measures like universal background checks for gun buyers, a national gun database, strengthening mental-health checks and tougher penalties for people carrying guns near schools or giving them to minors.

Asked Monday about the report, Carney reiterated that Obama wants to "close the many loopholes in our background check system" and "supports congressional actions right away."

Accelerated efforts to draft new gun control measures have alarmed gun rights groups, including the NRA, at the national and local levels. A separate last-minute effort to craft a restrictive semi-automatic weapon ban in Illinois was put on hold amid a tight deadline and intense opposition. On Capitol Hill, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is again pushing a renewal of the federal assault-weapons ban.

But Congress is also slammed with a pressing set of deadlines regarding a host of fiscal issues -- the debt ceiling, automatic spending cuts and the federal budget itself.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, said the next round of fiscal deadlines will occupy the attention of Congress and push off the consideration of gun legislation for at least three months.

"There will be plenty of time to take a look at their recommendations once they come forward," McConnell said of Biden's upcoming proposals during an interview Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

Obama aides say the president still plans to act quickly on Biden's proposals.

"I believe most Americans would disagree with the idea that in the wake of what happened in Newtown, Conn., that we should put off any action on the issue of gun violence," Carney said Monday in response to McConnell's comments.
Biden's recommendations are likely to include proposals for legislation, as well as executive action Obama can sign into law without lawmakers' approval.

The president already has called on Congress to reinstate a ban on military-style assault weapons, close loopholes that allow gun buyers to skirt background checks and restrict high-capacity magazines.

Pro-gun lawmakers on Capitol Hill have said any comprehensive effort to respond to the Newtown shooting must include more than just tighter gun control.

In addition to Biden's meetings this week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan will meet with parent and teacher groups, while Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will meet with mental health and disability advocates.

The White House said other meetings are also scheduled with community organizations, business owners and religious leaders


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/09/vice-president-to-meet-with-gun-safety-groups/#ixzz2HVo86pNd

HOW STUPID ARE THESE PEOPLE?! Larry Ward, gun advocate, said "I think Martin Luther King, Jr. would agree with me if he were alive today that if African Americans had been given the right to keep and bear arms from day one of the country’s founding, perhaps slavery might not have been a chapter in our history." WTF?!!

I love that he's trying to recruit black folks (like myself) to his cause, but he needs a history lesson. No, MLK would NOT agree with you, idiot, he was an educated man. Slaves ships ARRIVED on the shores on North America around 1619. Slavery was an institution in this country nearly 160 years before the US declared it's independence! Not one of our forefathers had any intention of freeing slaves. Slavery was too important to the commerce of this dear country of ours, not to mention our forefathers with their large plantations. We were property, not US citizens!



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/11/larry-ward-guns-african-americans-prevented-slavery-_n_2457479.html?ir=Politics&ref=topbar

Why are you making this racial, it is about all people and gun control.
It is about Obama and threatening to pull an executive order, it is about police coming to YOUR house and demanding you turn over all your weapons.It is about our 2nd amendment.

because the guy who made the comment,I believe he is a political figure, maybe read the link I gave, get the complete story.. that maybe slavery would not have occurred if they the slaves had been armed with weapons(guns)
I have never experienced police coming to take my guns or anything like it
.Obama has not said anything about an executive order to take away our guns. thank about it? when the second amendment was introduced, they had muskets that had to be reloaded manually.. not assault automatic weapons..clips that shoot massive rounds.. now your comment on this sounds silly~

The White House has sought to avoid prejudging what Biden's recommendations would be. But the vice president hinted Wednesday that executive action -- action by the president in which Congress would not have a say -- would indeed be involved.

You must have missed the paragraph in the first post, and yes it is being discussed to sieze all registered weapons from homes.

Obama Expands ATF's Right to Seize Guns Without Due Process
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/09/12/Obama-Expands-Civil-Forfeiture-So-ATF-Can-Seize-Your-Guns

by AWR Hawkins 12 Sep 2012

Obama has expanded civil-forfeiture rules making it permissible for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to seize weapons from citizens without the hassle of due process.

This effectively gives Attorney General Eric Holder, of Fast and Furious fame, extended power over guns and gun-related property.

The rules were broadened under the guise of giving the ATF authority "to seize and administatively forfeit property involved in controlled substance abuses." And if that doesn't strike you as extreme on first glance, consider the fact that this expansion of civil-forfeiture allows the ATF to forego almost all "due process" in making their seizures -- in effect, placing the burden of proof on the citizen instead of federal agents.

Last year, even without these expanded powers, ATF confiscated more than 11,000 guns, and nearly four hundred of them were taken from innocent citizens. With the expanded powers and the ease of bypassing due process now in place, the number of guns confiscated could rise exponentially.

We cannot view this expansion of civil-forfeiture without remembering Obama's May 2011 pledge to pursue gun control "under the radar." For what could be more "under the radar" that quietly expanding federal power to bypass due process and confiscate private citizens' guns?

no I didn't miss executive action might be , but not fact as you seem to advocate.

that article was dated ,2011, 2012? this is 2013 now.

guns taken from innocent citizens, sorry I don't believe this..
what I saw on tv was in California, and these guns were given voluntarily not confiscated,

Start paying attention to what is being said by Capitol Hill.

oh really I do! so that article was from capitol hill? breitbert is capitol hill?
looks to me like a personal opinion/blog with Obama's picture Photoshopped there.. I looked it up and is says Breitbart is conservative
opinion would he be kin to Andrew who started the false lies about Acorn?

Acorn was caught on tape, not valid to argue about and Breitbart is highly recognized in the media field, liberal or conservative facts are facts.

really brietbart was caught in fraud..

here is a reminder also he is dead now..



Andrew Breitbart launched his first website as a news site; it is sometimes linked to by the Drudge Report and other websites. It has wire stories from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Fox News, PR Newswire, and U.S. Newswire, as well as direct links to a number of major international newspapers. Its Blog & "Network" links tend to run to the right within the U.S. political spectrum (e.g., National Review and Townhall.com). The site also has a search engine powered by Lingospot and a finance channel powered by FinancialContent. In 2007, Breitbart launched a video blog, Breitbart.tv.[6]

In 2008 Breitbart launched the website "Big Hollywood," a "group blog" driven by some who work within Los Angeles, with contributions from a variety of writers, including politically conservative entertainment-industry professionals.[citation needed] The site was an outgrowth of the Breitbart's Washington Times "Big Hollywood" column included issues conservatives faced working in Hollywood.[7] In 2009, the site used audio from a secretly recorded conference call to accuse the National Endowment of the Arts of encouraging artists to create work in support of Barack Obama's domestic policy agenda.[8][9]

Breitbart launched BigGovernment.com on September 10, 2009.[10] He hired Mike Flynn, a former government affairs specialist at Reason Foundation,[11] as Editor-in-Chief of Big Government.[12] The site premiered with hidden camera video footage taken by Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe at Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now offices in various cities, attracting nationwide attention resulting in the ACORN 2009 undercover videos controversy.

In January 2010, Breitbart launched Big Journalism. He told Mediaite:[13] "Our goal at Big Journalism is to hold the mainstream media's feet to the fire. There are a lot of stories that they simply don't cover, either because it doesn't fit their world view, or because they're literally innocent of any knowledge that the story even exists, or because they are a dying organization, short-staffed, and thus can't cover stuff like they did before." Big Journalism was edited by Michael A. Walsh, a former journalism professor and Time magazine music critic.[13] It is now currently edited by Dana Loesch. The site has a fictional contributor named "Retracto, the Correction Alpaca" who posts items requesting corrections from the traditional media.[14]

BigPeace.com debuted July 4, 2010. The site covers topics such as international issues and foreign policy, the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism, Islamic extremism, espionage, border security, and energy issues.

The site launched a major redesign shortly after Breitbart's death in March 2012; Breitbart had been putting the finishing touches on the new look before his death.

Breitbart Sports launched on January 1, 2013.[15]
Controversies
Anthony Weiner
Main article: Anthony Weiner sexting scandal

On May 28, 2011, Breitbart reported on a sexually explicit photo accidentally sent on New York Representative Anthony Weiner Twitter feed on his BigJournalism website.[16] Weiner initially denied that he had sent a 21-year-old female college student the link to the photograph, but after questions developed, he admitted to inappropriate online relationships. On June 6, 2011, Breitbart reported other photos Weiner had sent, including one that was sexually graphic. On June 8, 2011, the sexually graphic photo was leaked after Breitbart participated in a radio interview with hosts Opie and Anthony, though Breitbart stated that the photo was published without his permission.[17] Weiner subsequently resigned from his congressional seat on June 21, 2011.
Shirley Sherrod
Main article: Resignation of Shirley Sherrod

In July 2010 Breitbart was accused of smearing USDA official Shirley Sherrod with the viral video "Proof NAACP Awards Racism". Breitbart's video showed Sherrod speaking at a NAACP fundraising dinner in March 2010 admitting to a racial reluctance to help a white farmer get government aid. The NAACP condemned Sherrod video comments and approved her July 19 dismissal from government service. After being criticized for presenting Sherrod out of context, Breitbart posted the full 40-minute video of the speech.[18][19][20][21] In the full video Sherrod said the reluctance to help a white man was wrong, and she had ended up assisting him. Following the release of the full video, the NAACP also reversed their rebuke of Sherrod,[19][20], and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack apologized and offered Sherrod a new government position.[22] In 2011, Sherrod sued Breitbart for defamation,[23] Breibart said that the point of the piece was not to target Sherrod, but said the NAACP audience's reception of the parts of the speech demonstrated the same racism the NAACP's President had accused The Tea Party of harboring.[24]
ACORN undercover videos
Main article: ACORN 2009 undercover videos controversy

Breitbart was also involved in the 2009 ACORN video controversy. Hannah Giles[25][26] posed as a prostitute seeking tax and legal advice while James O'Keefe posed as her pimp interested in the best ways to conceal taxable revenue from operating an underage sex slavery business, and clandestinely videotaped meetings with ACORN staff who helpfully and nonchalantly answered all questions.[27] Subsequent criminal investigations by the Brooklyn District Attorney's office and the California Attorney General found the videos were heavily edited in an attempt to make ACORN's responses "appear more sinister",[28][29][30] and contributed to the group's demise.[31][32]
GOProud

Breitbart was also embroiled in a controversy within the conservative movement related to the participation of gay group GOProud in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual conference held in Washington, D.C., by the American Conservative Union. In 2011 he was the primary host of a party that served to "welcome" the "homocons" to the convention (though it was the second year they had been participants). This flew in the face of a boycott staged by a few social conservative groups that were offended by the inclusion of GOProud within the conservative fold. Writer, producer, and publisher Roger L. Simon referred to the group as a "game-changer" for the Republican party, and asserted that it represented a turning point in the appeal that the conservative movement might hold for young people. Breitbart was on the Advisory Board of GOProud until he stepped down in the wake of the group's inadvertent outing of a senior Rick Perry aide.[33][34]
References

^ "Breitbart.com". Breitbart.com. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
^ "Big Hollywood". Bighollywood.breitbart.com. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
^ "Big Government". Big Government. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
^ "Andrew Breitbart". Big Journalism. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
^ "Big Peace". Big Peace. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
^ Owen, Rob. The next wave: Ex-WTAE anchor Scott Baker changes channel to run Web news site, Post-Gazette
^ "Hollywood Infidel". The New York Observer. March 16, 2007. Archived from the original on October 02 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
^ "'The National Endowment for the Art of Persuasion". Big Hollywood. August 25, 2009.
^ "'Yosi Sergant Resigns". ABC News. September 24, 2009.
^ "New Political Blog 'Big Government' Launches Tomorrow". http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
^ "Introducing Andrew Breitbart's Big Government, Edited by Mike Flynn", Nick Gillespie, reason.com, September 10, 2009
^ Author page for Mike Flynn Editor-in-Chief of Big Government
^ a b Exclusive Interview: Andrew Breitbart Announces Launch of New "Big" Sites Colby Hall, Mediaite, December 10, 2009
^ Author page for "Retracto, the Correction Alpaca" at Big Journalism
^ "Breitbart Sports Launches New Years Day 2013". Breitbart News Network. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ Muñoz-Temple, Amanda (June 16, 2011). "The Man Behind Weiner's Resignation". National Journal. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
^ Bond, Paul (June 9, 2011). "Anthony Weiner's Genitalia Photo Puts Sirius XM in Sticky Situation (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
^ Breitbart, Andrew (July 19, 2010). "Video Proof: The NAACP Awards Racism–2010". Big Government.
^ a b "Anatomy of a Smear Campaign". CNN. July 22, 2010.
^ a b "NAACP 'snookered' over video of former USDA employee". CNN. July 21,



I don't believe Brietbart is a good reliable news, and it sure isn't Capitol Hill news

the article you put, here is not fact!

There are over 1000 other articles on google that will dispute your claim this is not factual.

really, O'Keeffe was even prosecuted.
Brietbart doesn't even exist, he is dead.
whoever is claiming this Brietbart Big Government true, and facts? is false and a lie..
Wikipedia is pretty factual! but your Brietbart and claim it is Capitol/Hill is not factual,,it is a blog,opinion..
plus your article!! many other articles claim it not factual..And the beat goes on..

Not going to argue with you, the article I posted stands and that is what I believe. By the way where is your link to the article you posted ? Please try to be more on the ball and complete a post with all requirements. Thank you.
It was not a blog and my reference to Capitol Hill means start paying attention what your legislatures are saying may happen.Both sides remember they all have a vote.

Your are arguing,and not an article to trust,you put!!

what link Wikipedia link?

Is that where it came from and you question my article Wiki is only opinions by posters not even verified. No Gyp I am not arguing with you period. I'm going back to FB and play games. Have a wonderful evening.

yes lot more factual than from a dead man's blog,that you claim is Capitol Hill??
also unless you watch real government from the Floor of the Capitol,,not from fox or dead peoples blogs,taken over by who knows,it is not fact!!

you have a nice one also!..I no longer play games on face book..

Nighty night!! ok not arguing then what were we doing? waltzing?

SSC wrote:Start paying attention to what is being said by Capitol Hill.

This was my statement not a quote from an article, you are getting confused again, read the post carefully.

I never said it was a quote!! you put Brietbert as capitol/Hill it is not facts from Capitol Hill,it is a blog,he is dead,he can't speak,write lies anymore..someone else must be,or Ghosts?? LOL no Confusion here Dear! maybe it is you who are confused!

yes a statement put here by you.that you quoted from! so if you post a statement,you think is true,your quoting!

IT WAS MY OWN FRIGGIN WORDS AND YOU TOOK IT AND RAN WITH IT. I QUIT, YOU WIN, NOT WORTH THIS HASSLE WITH YOU, HAVE IT YOUR WAY. WHAT EVER YOU THINK IS RIGHT IS JUST PEACHY KEEN WITH ME

Good!! when one posts only what they think, then back it up with dead man blogs/opinions as you have so many times accused me of,,then PEACHY KEEN! I love that phrase..no hard feelings from me~~maybe we have got it out of our system I don't agree with you,you don't agree with me! the outcome will show what is right..

a good note, I have studied this for years.. the Political field even in the third grade,I had thoughts,guess what? I wanted Truman to win, when Eisenhower won I liked him still do..

We all know you are obsessed with politics, but now days my concern is the total destruction of our rights and an endangered constitution.
I am in favor of limiting assault rifles, but personal weapons such as handguns, hunting rifles, shotguns are none of the governments business. I also think mental and criminal background checks should be mandatory, down to those prescribed mind altering drugs. I also believe armed guards should be in place in every school, or at least staff should be trained in weapons and allowed to have them on the campus at all times.
No child should go to school in fear, and the pretense of being politically correct seems to be endangering children. I firmly believe if a child commits a gun crime the parent should be held accountable after all are parents not supposed to be monitoring their children's activities and liable for their actions.

and your obsessed also, your replying.. there has not been any info that Obama is going to take away our guns..
more laws yes,and
putting the law back in force Clinton introduced on assault rifles..

yes tougher gun laws, removal of weapon,like assault rifles, of mass destruction removed from public hands.
. stricter mental health evaluation before a person can buy a gun
,same law applies to gun show purchases, also.. should be enforced.

it is foolish to give guns to teachers..

What price do you put on the safety of a child ? Is this a political showboat or true concern for safety in our schools.

what is a political showboat? now your back with more nonsense..
teachers should not have guns in a class room.that is not the solution,
taking away guns isn't the answer, but tougher laws, can deter that act.