Obama's Gun Control Initiative Challenged in Federal Lawsuit
- Plan to expand background checks unveiled after mass shootings
- Lawsuit challenges president's power to reinterpret the rules
Inside Pres. Obama's Speech on Gun Control
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U.S. President Barack Obama’s expansion of background checks for would-be gun buyers is being challenged in a lawsuit by a political activist who claims the changes violate the Constitution and the federal rule-making process.
Stymied by congress in prior attempts to enact gun-control legislation following mass shootings, the president on Jan. 5 announced a new interpretation of already-existing rules defining who is a firearms dealer. The new definition would subject more transactions -- including sales at gun shows and on the Internet -- to background checks, preventing sales to people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.