NEW POLL: Americans Support the President's Actions to Curb Gun Violence
- "A supermajority of voters – 73 percent – support ‘an executive action by President Obama that would require anyone who sells a large number of guns per year to become a licensed gun dealer and require background checks on all of their gun sales, including those sold online or at gun shows,' with a 53-percent majority saying they strongly support such action and only 25 percent opposing it.
- A majority of Republicans support an executive action on background checks. Despite their disagreement with the President on other policy issues, a 56 percent majority of self-ascribed Republicans support a potential executive action.
- Nearly two-thirds of gun owners also support a potential executive action. Sixty-four percent of gun owners and 56 percent of voters who are favorably disposed toward the National Rifle Association also support a potential executive action."
In fact, Speaker Ryan himself once called for an end to the outrageous gun-show loophole – but now he's flip-flopping. From Political Wire:
"You know, there is a loophole here. We should address that."
— Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2013, on the gun show loophole.
"There is no loophole… This is a distraction."
— Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), quoted by the AP today.
Instead of working with Democrats to build on the President's important steps to curb gun violence, House Republicans are standing in the way of action. Speaker Ryan went as far as to cynically comment that the President failed to "focus on criminals and terrorists" with the executive actions – even though House Republicans have now voted seven times to block a vote on legislation that would close the dangerous loophole that lets suspected terrorists buy guns.
It's time for Speaker Ryan and House Republicans to listen to the American people, who are demanding action to address the epidemic of gun violence in America.