The U.S. Government to Announce New Gun Ownership Control Laws

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, intends to take steps to implement certain measures for gun ownership control in the U.S. without the need for Congressional approval. In his final year of presidency, he has decided to directly announce actions within the scope of the government. The U.S. Congress had previously opposed his efforts to control gun ownership. The President of the United States will speak about these measures on Tuesday, January 5, Washington time, at the White House. According to AFP, Loretta Lynch, the U.S. Attorney General, stated that these measures will include stricter laws regarding the registration and licensing of gun sellers, reducing the ability of sellers to evade background checks of buyers, and combating illegal gun purchases through intermediaries. Indirect measures will also be taken; for example, the U.S. Department of Defense is asked to purchase weapons and equipment from manufacturers that use 'weapons security technology,' such as fingerprint scanners. Meanwhile, there has been no mention of other measures such as publicly obtaining background checks or collecting and registering part of the 300 million firearms currently in society, as such matters must be approved by the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Congress, which has a Republican majority, has shown its opposition to Barack Obama's efforts to control gun ownership. It seems that with the end of Mr. Obama's presidency, he has ultimately decided to take actions himself. Obama previously mentioned in an interview with the BBC World Service that his inability to pass gun ownership laws to control it was the 'greatest failure' of his presidency. He has repeatedly called for changes in gun ownership laws. Nevertheless, some individuals, politicians, and the powerful gun sellers' lobby in the United States have thwarted his efforts in the legislative body of that country. A group of Republican politicians, including presidential candidates and senior congressional representatives, have criticized the President's actions, saying this disregards the legal rights of citizens to own guns. Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House, states that many deadly attacks in America are due to mental illnesses. In the U.S., nearly 30,000 people lose their lives annually due to gun-related violence and suicides using firearms.