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Executive Gun 'Order' Easier Said Than Done; Congress Carefully Guards Its Authority

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Byline: Seth McLaughlin, THE WASHINGTON TIMES



The problem with gun control is that Congress has been extraordinarily explicit, said John Hudak, a scholar on executive power at the Brookings Institution. When gun-control legislation is passed, it is usually very detailed in what Congress intended and it is usually very detailed in the barriers it sets up for the executive branch. That limits presidential authority to use executive power because there is little discretion.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden, who is leading the White House task force on gun control, said this week that Mr. Obama is looking at executive orders, executive action that he can take without having to depend on Congress, which has blocked stricter gun control for nearly two decades.

Constitutional analysts and gun specialists




Nor should, nor can, they. They are not empowered to, Mr. Korwin said. In other words, the people have not given Congress the ability to give the president the power that is not spelled out in the Constitution.



On Thursday, Mr. Biden met with gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association, and said his task force will release its recommendations Tuesday. Retailers such as Wal-Mart, Dick's Sporting Goods and other stores that sell firearms met with Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in the late afternoon Thursday.


We were disappointed with how little this meeting had to do with keeping our children safe and how much it had to do with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment, the gun lobbying group said. While claiming that no policy proposal would be 'prejudged,' this task force spent most of its time on proposed restrictions on lawful firearms owners - honest, taxpaying, hardworking Americans.

In the wake of the shooting, Mr. Obama said he would use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement to mental health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. …