President Obama: Taking Your Guns in His Own Hands

It's a heated debate, gun control and amongst the gun slinging on the issue President Obama may reach in his pocket of powers and take his own gun control action.

At a news conference Monday, President Obama indicated that he was considering using his executive powers to put new control measures into effect.

Well, he won’t be instituting sweeping edicts such as a ban on assault weapons or high-capacity magazines. Those would require congressional legislation, which he’s also vowed to push for. What Mr. Obama can do is issue executive orders based on his constitutional authority or existing statutes. Generally, this sort of executive action deals with government officials or agencies, according to a 2010 Congressional Research Service report on the subject.

Executive orders “usually affect private individuals only indirectly,” according to CRS.

WHAT CAN THE PRESIDENT ACTUALLY DO BY HIMSELF ABOUT GUN CONTROL:

• Tighten up the existing background check system
• Punish states that don't provide information on bad gun applications
• Create harder gun audit programs
• Enforce broader multiple sales records notifications regarding multiple sales to one person
• Put further limitations on gun imports
• Increase funding for the research into the nature and effects of gun violence

President Obama is expected to announce his plans on moving forward for gun control later this week.