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奥巴马 中国民间无枪 儿童得以幸存

已有 211 次阅读2016-1-6 15:02 |个人分类:美国| 奥巴马, 关键字, 中国, 儿童, 民间

奥巴马挥泪谈控枪:在中国难以获取枪支 无辜儿童得以幸存

发表时间:2016-01-06 16:48:58


据新浪新闻1月6日报道,奥巴马5日发表讲话,宣布新的控枪行政措施,加强购枪背景审查,呼吁国会采取行动。在讲话中,他以控枪政策严格的中国为正面例子,指出因为中国枪支管控严格,在类似于桑迪胡克小学枪击案的情形中,无辜儿童受伤害会比美国少很多。

在执政的最后一年,奥巴马选择绕开共和党把控的国会,凭一己之力推动控枪,还动员民众用选票迫使议员们行动。他逐一驳斥拥枪团体的谎言,提到枪案遇难儿童时也不禁流泪,可谓晓之以情动之以理。

奥巴马在讲话时因为枪击案中伤亡的儿童落泪

以下为奥巴马讲话全文,小标题为新浪新闻所加:

谢谢你们(鼓掌),谢谢你们,谢谢你们,谢谢你们所有人,请就座。谢谢,非常感谢。

马克,我想谢谢你的介绍,我还记得我们第一次见面的时候,我们在一起共度的时光,我们有关丹尼尔的对话。那些事情在那一天改变了我。我诚恳地希望,这也将能改变这个国家。

五年前的这一周,一位美国国会议员和另外18人在亚利桑那州图森市遭枪击。那已不是我第一次就大规模枪击事件向全国发表讲话,它也不会是最后一次。胡德堡、宾汉姆顿、奥罗拉、奥克里克、纽顿、海军船厂、圣巴巴拉、查尔斯顿、圣贝纳迪诺,太多的枪击事件了。

感谢一个伟大的医疗团队和她丈夫马克的爱,我亲爱的朋友和同事,加贝-吉福兹(新浪编者注:前美国众议员,被枪击中头部但奇迹生还。丈夫马克是宇航员。)在那起枪击事件中幸存。她今天在可爱母亲的陪同下和我们在一起。(鼓掌)。感谢一个非常棒的医疗团队,她可爱的丈夫马克,随便说一个小插曲,我上一次见到马克——你们可能知道马克的双胞胎兄弟是一位在外太空工作的宇航员,马克来到我的办公室,我问他多长时间和你兄弟通话,他说,我通常每天会与他通话,但是他这次是在见面前打来的,所以,我觉得我不应该接他的电话。(笑声)这让我感觉有点不好(笑声)。那是一个长途电话(笑声)。所以,我告诉他,如果他的兄弟斯科特今天打电话来,他应当接听电话。(笑声)。把扬声器打开。(笑声)

当吉福兹仍在医院时,我曾前往看望,我们当时还不能确定她是否能幸存。我是在参加死者纪念活动之前探视她的。她在一个小时后睁开了眼睛。我记得曾与母亲谈及此事,但是我知道,她和她的家人在过去五年所经受的痛苦,康复过程、从重伤恢复的辛苦与努力。

我随后想起那些没有这么幸运的美国人。每年有3万多美国人因为枪支而过早地离世,自杀、家庭暴力、黑帮火拼、枪支事故。数十万美国人失去了兄弟姐妹或者埋葬了自己的孩子。许多人终生致残或者学会在失去爱人的情况下生活。

这些人中的一些人今天来到了这里,他们可以告诉你一些故事。就在这个房间里有许多故事,有许多心碎,有许多坚强,有许多力量,但也有许多痛苦。这只是一个很小的样本。

美国不是这个地球上唯一有施暴成性或者危险人员的国家,我们也不是天生更加倾向于暴力的国家,但我们是这个世界上枪击案如此频发的唯一一个发达国家,其它发达国家没有这么高频率的枪击事件,美国远高于其他发达国家。正如我之前说过的那样,我们某种程度上已对此麻木,我们开始认为这是正常的。

我们没有去思考如何解决这一问题,这一问题反而成了最具分裂性的两党争辩议题,虽然美国民众对于该采取何种措施有着广泛的共识。这就是我将于周四在弗吉尼亚州就枪支暴力问题举行一个公众会晤的部分原因,因为我的目标是将这一议题争论双方的好人们聚集在一起,就此进行一个公开的讨论。

我将不会再参加总统大选,我没有寻求讨人欢心,我认为,我们可以在不质疑对方动机或者不心怀不满的情况下持不同观点,我们不需要说服对方,但我们对此要有紧迫感。用金博士的话说,我们需要有“强烈的现实紧迫性”,因为人们正在死去,长期以来用以不采取行动的借口已经不行了,已不够了。

这就是我们今天来这里的原因。不是为了辩论上一次大规模枪击事件,而是采取一些措施来试图制止下一次大规模枪击事件。(鼓掌)。我们来这里为了证明,大多数美国人对像丹尼尔这样的小男孩是足够关心的,他们将团结起来,采取常识措施来挽救生命和保护我们更多的孩子,虽然我们的声音并不一直是最洪亮的或者是最为极端的。

我教过宪法,懂第二修正案

现在,我想从一开始就明确无误,我已多次表达过这一点,这已变成了家常便饭,这成了我做整个事情的惯例:我信奉宪法第二修正案,它是白纸黑字记录在案的,它确保人们拥有枪支的权利,不管人们多少次试图歪曲我有关宪法第二修正案的言论,我曾(在芝加哥大学法学院)教宪法学,我对此甚知一二(鼓掌)。但是我也相信,我们可以找到在遵守宪法第二修正案的同时减少枪支暴力的方法。

我的意思是,想想这个议题吧,我们都信奉宪法第一修正案,宪法第一修正案确保了言论自由,但是我们不会允许你在剧院里乱喊“着火了”。我们明白我们的自由是受限制的,以保护无辜人士。我们珍视我们的隐私权,但是我们接受在登上飞机前要经过安检门,这并不是因为人们喜欢这么做 ,而是因为我们明白,这是在一个文明社会里生活所要付出的部分代价。

在有关枪支暴力辩论中经常被忽视的一点是,大多数枪支拥有者事实上都同意,我们可以在遵守宪法第二修正案的同时阻止那些不负责任、违法的纠纷演变成大规模枪击事件。

现在,在枪店购枪要进行背景审查。如果一位父亲想教他的女儿如何打猎,他可以走进一家枪店,接受背景审查,安全和负责任地购买他的武器。这并没有被视作是对宪法第二修正案的侵犯。与一些枪支权利辩护者的说法相反,背景审查并不是滑向全面没收枪支的第一步。一些总统候选人在我今天讲话前就发表言论,但与他们的说法相反,这并不是夺走所有人枪支的一个阴谋。你通过背景审查,你就可以购买枪支。

问题是一些枪支的卖家是在一套不同规则下行事的,一位曾有过暴力犯罪史的重犯可以通过互联网购枪,无需经过背景审查,无需回答任何问题。最近的一项研究发现,在一个网站上购买枪支的人员中,每30人就有1人有过犯罪记录。我们是在谈及那些曾因为严重罪行而被定罪的人员——严重攻击、家庭暴力、抢劫、非法拥有武器。那些有着漫长犯罪历史的人们购买致命性武器太容易了。这只是一个网站数个月内的记录。

所以,我们创造了这样的一个制度,危险人士被允许按一套不同的规则行事,负责任的人士以正确的方式购枪,要接受背景审查。这不合理,所有人都应遵守同样的规则,大多数美国人和枪支拥有者都这样认为。我们三年前曾试图改变那样的局面,包括20名儿童在内的26美国人三年前在桑迪胡克小学枪击案中丧生。

控枪为何成为两党争议话题?

两位美国参议员,来自西弗吉尼亚的民主党参议员乔-曼钦和来自宾夕法尼亚州的共和党参议员帕特-托梅伊进行了诚心诚意地合作,他们都是枪支拥有者,都是宪法第二修正案权利的强烈拥护者,都是美国步枪协会A级会员(新浪编者注:步枪协会是激进的枪支游说团体),这一资格是很难获得的。他们咨询了包括副总统在内的许多人,副总统长期以来一直是对购枪者进行背景审查的呼吁者。他们起草了将要求对所有人进行背景审查的议案。情况就是这样,非常常识性的东西。90%的美国人支持这一提议,90%的参议院民主党主人投票支持了这一议案,但是议案未能获得通过,因为参议院90%的共和党人投票反对这一议案。

这一议题是如何演变成两党争议议题?共和党总统小布什曾说:“我支持在枪支展或者在任何地方进行背景审查,以确保枪支不会落入那些不应当获得枪支人员之手。”共和党参议员约翰-麦凯恩提交了一个获得两党支持的提议,来应对枪支展漏洞。他说:“我们需要这一修正案,因为犯罪分子和恐怖分子曾利用和将利用我们枪支安全法律方面这一非常明显的漏洞。”甚至美国步枪会也曾支持扩大背景审查。顺便说一下,它的大部分会员现在也支持背景审查。大多数共和党选民也支持背景审查。

我们是如何落到现在的境地的?我们是如何演变到目前的局面,人们认为要求进行背景审查意味着夺走人们的枪支?

每次当提出这一问题时,我们就会遇到诸如背景审查这样的常识改革措施可能不会制止上次或者上上次或者上上上次屠杀,所以何苦为之的借口。我拒绝这样的想法(鼓掌)。我们知道,我们没法阻止世界上所有的暴力行为,所有的邪恶行为,但是,我们也许应当试图阻止任何一次邪恶行为,一次暴力行为。

你们中的一些人可能会记得,在桑迪胡克小学枪击案发生的同一时间,中国的一名精神错乱人士拿了一把匕首,试图用匕首来杀一些中国儿童,但大多数中国儿童在那些案件中幸存,因为那人没有获得威力很大的枪支,我们也许无法挽救所有人,但我们应当能挽救更多人的生命,就像我们无法防止所有交通事故,但我们可以采取措施来减少交通事故。

正如罗纳德-里根曾说过的那样,如果强制性背景审查能够挽救更多生命的话,那么就相当值得使其成为法律。三年前摆在国会面前的议案就是一次考验。不幸的是,太多的议员未能通过考验。(鼓掌)

事实上,我们知道背景审查是能够奏效的。在康涅狄格州通过一项要求背景审查和枪支安全课程的法律后,枪支引发的死亡事件减少了四成,四成。(鼓掌)与此同时,在密苏里州取消了一项要求全面背景审查和购买许可的法律后,枪支引发的死亡事件比全国平均值增加了近五成。一项研究发现,密苏里州的犯罪分子更加容易获得枪支,这一点并不令人感到意外。

证据告诉我们,在那些要求进行背景审查的州里,遵守法律的美国人并没有发现购买枪支的难度在增加。他们的枪支并没有被没收,他们的权利并没有遭到侵犯。

这只是我们目前所获得的一些信息。在进行更多的研究后,我们可以进一步改善枪支安全。正如在进行了更多的研究后,我们在过去三十年大幅降低了交通事故的死亡人数。当车辆、食物、药物,甚至玩具给人们带来伤害后,我们就展开调查,我们就可以使它们更加安全。你知道吗,研究,科学,这些是好东西,它们能奏效。(笑声和鼓掌)。它们确实能奏效。

但是想想这个吧,当事情涉及到武器时,没有人会说枪支没有潜在的致命性,武器每年杀死数万美国人,国会事实上投票使公共卫生专家就枪支暴力的研究变得更加困难,使专家们更加难以收集数据和事实,使制订减少枪支暴力的策略更加困难。即便是在圣贝纳迪诺枪击事件后,他们仍然拒绝让那些无法登上飞机的恐怖疑犯更加难以购买半自动武器。这是不对的,也不可能是对的。

所以枪支游说集团现在可能将国会扣为人质,但他们无法将美国扣为人质(鼓掌)。我们并不需要接受屠杀作为自由的代价。(鼓掌)。

现在,我想明确一下。国会仍需要采取行动,在这个房间的人们在国会采取行动前将不会休息。(鼓掌)因为一旦国会支持常识性枪支安全措施的话,我们可以更大幅度地减少枪支暴力。但我们也不能等待。在国会采取与大多数美国人意见一致的行动之前,我可以在我的权力范围内采取措施,以帮助减少枪支暴力事件,挽救更多生命,这些行动将保护我们的权利和我们的孩子。

我们要做什么?

在桑迪胡克小学枪击事件后,拜登和我与我们的团队共事,我们提出了一整系列的行政措施以试图强化我们现存的规则和制度。但是,今天,我们将采取进一步的措施,所以,让我阐述一下我们将要采取措施的主要内容。

第一点,所有的枪支销售者必须获得许可证,实施背景审查,否则将遭到刑事起诉。(鼓掌)你是在互联网上还是在枪支展上卖枪,这不重要。你在哪里售枪并不重要,重要的是你做的事情。

我们还将扩大背景审查的范围,一些暴力犯罪分子试图拿信托、公司和各种其它渠道作掩护来购买一些最为危险的枪支。

我们还将采取措施来使背景审查制度更加有效。在联邦调查局局长詹姆斯-科米和烟酒火器局副局长汤姆-布兰登的指导下,我们将雇佣更多人员以便更快地处理申请,我们将使一个过时的背景审查系统进入21世纪。(鼓掌)

这些措施将事实上使遵守法律的枪支拥有者获得了一个更顺利的流程,使负责任的枪支销售商获得一个更通畅的流程,一个能够更加保护公众的更加强有力的流程,保护公众不受危险人士的伤害。这是第一点。

第二点,我们将采取我们能够采取的所有措施,以确保现有的枪支安全法律获得明智和有效的执行。这意味着我们将增加200名烟酒火器局工作人员和调查人员。我们将要求枪支销售商及时报告更多的枪支丢失或者被盗事件。我们将与权利组织合作,以保护家暴受害者免受枪支暴力的伤害,在太多的情况下(鼓掌),人们没有获得他们应当获得的保护。

第三点,我们将采取更多措施来帮助那些精神疾病病患,让他们获得所需的帮助。获得媒体高度关注的大规模枪击事件使人们关注到那些少数伤害他人的精神病患,但事实是,三分之二的枪支致死事件死者是自杀者,所以,我们的许多工作将是防止人们伤害自己。

这就是为什么我们确保平价医疗法案,也叫奥巴马医疗法案(笑声和鼓掌声)将精神病患和其它疾病患者同等对待的原因。这就是我们为什么将投资5亿美元来在全国范围内扩大精神病患接受治疗的原因。

这也是为什么我们要确保联邦精神疾病档案要提交给背景审查系统,清除各州获得相关信息的障碍的原因。如果我们可以继续使精神疾病议题去污名化,让病患得到护理,弥补背景审查制度的漏洞,那么我们可以使更多家庭免受亲人自杀的痛苦。

对于那些在国会里经常急于指责精神疾病导致大规模枪击事件以作为避免在枪支议题上采取行动的议员们,现在是你们支持这些努力的机会。请言行一致。(鼓掌声)

第四点,我们将提高枪支安全技术。今天,许多枪支受伤和死亡事件是合法枪支的结果,这些枪支被盗或者被误用、走火。仅在2013年,500多人由于枪支事故丧生,这包括5岁以下的30名儿童。在这个地球上最伟大、技术最先进的国家里,没有理由发生这些事情。我们需要研发新技术来使枪支更加安全。如果我们可以实现用指纹开手机,那么为什么不就我们的枪支使用同样的技术?(鼓掌声)如果有APP可以帮助我们找到不见的平板电脑——随着我年龄的增加,这样事经常发生——我们为什么不能用这一技术来找到被盗的枪支。如果一名儿童无法打开阿斯匹林的瓶子,那么我们应当确保他们无法扣动板机。(鼓掌声)是不是?

所以,我们将推进研究,我们将与私营企业合作,以升级枪支技术。

一些枪支零售商已经拒绝在不完成全面背景审查完成枪支交易,或者在出售半自动武器或者大容量弹匣方面持克制态度。我希望更多的枪支零售商和更多的枪支制造商加入他们的行列,因为他们应当和其他人一样关注枪支这种产品,枪支导致的美国人死亡数量几乎和汽车事故一样多。

我说明这一点是因为我们各方无法独自实现这一点,我认为马克早些时候阐明了这一点,我们所有人应当合作以找到权利的平衡,我们其它的一些权利也很重要。第二宪法修正案的权利是重要的,但我们也同样关心其它权利,我们要平衡这些权利,因为我们在查尔斯顿的基督徒自由和安全地进行祈祷的权利被剥夺了。(鼓掌声)。堪萨斯州城犹太人这样做的权利也被剥夺了,教堂山的穆斯林、橡树溪市的锡克教信徒的权利也被剥夺了。(鼓掌声)他们也有权利。(鼓掌声)

在奥罗拉和拉法叶特看电影的人们被剥夺了和平集会权。布莱克斯堡和圣巴巴拉的大学生们被剥夺了追求生命、自由和幸福的不可剥夺的权利。哥伦拜恩的中学生、纽顿的一年级学生的这些权利也被剥夺了。一年级学生,所有失去亲人的家庭从未想到他们的亲人会被枪支射出的子弹夺去生命。

每次我想起这些孩子,我就会很愤怒。随便说一下,在芝加哥的大街上每天都在发生这样的事情。(鼓掌声)

所以,我们所有人都要要求国会足够勇敢,站出来面对枪支游说集团的谎言。我们所有人都需要站出来保护国家的公民,我们所有人都需要要求州长和立法部门、商业机构采取各自的行动,以使我们的社区更加安全。我们需要大多数负责任的枪支拥有者加入我们,以要求更好的局面。他们在枪击案件发生时和我们一起悲痛,认为自己的观点没有得到正确的代表。(鼓掌声)

我们需要那些想获得更加安全枪支法律的选民,那些对领导人挡道感到失望的选民要记得在选举时刻参加投票。(鼓掌声)

我的意思是,其中一些事情是简单的算术问题。是的,枪支游说集团发出的声音是很大的,它在使任何人在任何时候都能轻松获得武器的辩护是有组织的。好的,你知道吗,我们其他所有人要同样投入,我们在保卫我们的孩子时要很好的组织。这并不复杂。国会阻扰议案通过是因为议员们想赢得选举。如果他们阻扰这些枪支安全法律,你们就使他们更加难以赢得选举,那么他们将改变路线。我向你承诺这一点。(鼓掌声)

是的,这将是艰难的,它将不在一夜之间就发生,它将不在这届国会发生,它将不会在我的总统任期内发生,但是许多事情都不在一夜之间发生的。妇女的投票权不是在一夜之间发生的,非洲裔美国人的解放不是在一夜之间发生的。同性恋者的权利也不是,而是经历了数十年的努力。所以,只是困为它很困难,这不是不去努力的借口。

如果你对为什么你应当有“强烈的现实紧迫性”有任何疑问的话,想想三周前发生的事情吧。扎维奥恩-杜布森是田纳西州诺克斯维尔福顿中学高二学生,他玩橄榄球,他的同学和他的教师都喜爱他,市长称他是城市的成功故事之一。就在圣诞前的一周,他去朋友家玩电玩,他并不是在错误的时间出现在错误的地点,他并没有作出错误的决定,他是在任何其它孩子都可能出现的地方。枪手随后开枪。扎维奥恩挡在三个女孩前,为她们挡子弹。他的头部中弹,女孩们没有受伤。他为了救她们的生命献出了自己的生命,这样的英雄主义行为远远超出了我们对15岁孩子的期待。“没有什么比这更伟大的爱,一个人愿意为了朋友放弃自己的生命。 ”

我们没有被要求作扎维奥恩-杜布森所作的事情,我们没有被要求有那么宽厚的肩膀,那么强大的内心,那么快速的反应,我不是在要求人们有同样的勇气或者牺牲或者爱,但如果我们爱我们的孩子,关心他们的前景,如果我们爱这个国家,关心它的未来,那么我们可以找到投票的勇气。我们可以找到动员和组织起来的勇气。我们可以找到打破所有噪音的勇气,做一个理性的国家应当做的事情。

这将是我们今天要做的事情。我们明天将做更多的事情,我们后天还将采取更多的措施。如果我们采取措施,我们将留下一个比我们所继承的更加强大的国家,配得上像杜布森这样年轻男子所付出牺牲的国家。(鼓掌声)

非常感谢大家,上帝保佑你,谢谢你,上帝保佑美国。

(新浪国际 陈智勇 严伟江)

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

January 04, 2016

FACT SHEET: New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer

Gun violence has taken a heartbreaking toll on too many communities across the country. Over the past decade in America, more than 100,000 people have been killed as a result of gun violence—and millions more have been the victim of assaults, robberies, and other crimes involving a gun. Many of these crimes were committed by people who never should have been able to purchase a gun in the first place. Over the same period, hundreds of thousands of other people in our communities committed suicide with a gun and nearly half a million people suffered other gun injuries. Hundreds of law enforcement officers have been shot to death protecting their communities. And too many children are killed or injured by firearms every year, often by accident. The vast majority of Americans—including the vast majority of gun owners—believe we must take sensible steps to address these horrible tragedies.

The President and Vice President are committed to using every tool at the Administration’s disposal to reduce gun violence. Some of the gaps in our country’s gun laws can only be fixed through legislation, which is why the President continues to call on Congress to pass the kind of commonsense gun safety reforms supported by a majority of the American people. And while Congress has repeatedly failed to take action and pass laws that would expand background checks and reduce gun violence, today, building on the significant steps that have already been taken over the past several years, the Administration is announcing a series of commonsense executive actions designed to:

1. Keep guns out of the wrong hands through background checks.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is making clear that it doesn’t matter where you conduct your business—from a store, at gun shows, or over the Internet: If you’re in the business of selling firearms, you must get a license and conduct background checks.

ATF is finalizing a rule to require background checks for people trying to buy some of the most dangerous weapons and other items through a trust, corporation, or other legal entity.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch has sent a letter to States highlighting the importance of receiving complete criminal history.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is overhauling the background check system to make it more effective and efficient. The envisioned improvements include processing background checks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and improving notification of local authorities when certain prohibited persons unlawfully attempt to buy a gun. The FBI will hire more than 230 additional examiners and other staff to help process these background checks.

2. Make our communities safer from gun violence.

The Attorney General convened a call with U.S. Attorneys around the country to direct federal prosecutors to continue to focus on smart and effective enforcement of our gun laws.

The President’s FY2017 budget will include funding for 200 new ATF agents and investigators to help enforce our gun laws.

ATF has established an Internet Investigation Center to track illegal online firearms trafficking and is dedicating $4 million and additional personnel to enhance the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network.

ATF is finalizing a rule to ensure that dealers who ship firearms notify law enforcement if their guns are lost or stolen in transit.

The Attorney General issued a memo encouraging every U.S. Attorney’s Office to renew domestic violence outreach efforts.

3. Increase mental health treatment and reporting to the background check system.

The Administration is proposing a new $500 million investment to increase access to mental health care.

The Social Security Administration has indicated that it will begin the rulemaking process to include information in the background check system about beneficiaries who are prohibited from possessing a firearm for mental health reasons.

The Department of Health and Human Services is finalizing a rule to remove unnecessary legal barriers preventing States from reporting relevant information about people prohibited from possessing a gun for specific mental health reasons.

4. Shape the future of gun safety technology.

The President has directed the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security to conduct or sponsor research into gun safety technology.

The President has also directed the departments to review the availability of smart gun technology on a regular basis, and to explore potential ways to further its use and development to more broadly improve gun safety.

Congress should support the President’s request for resources for 200 new ATF agents and investigators to help enforce our gun laws, as well as a new $500 million investment to address mental health issues.

Because we all must do our part to keep our communities safe, the Administration is also calling on States and local governments to do all they can to keep guns out of the wrong hands and reduce gun violence. It is also calling on private-sector leaders to follow the lead of other businesses that have taken voluntary steps to make it harder for dangerous individuals to get their hands on a gun. In the coming weeks, the Administration will engage with manufacturers, retailers, and other private-sector leaders to explore what more they can do.

New Actions by the Federal Government

Keeping Guns Out of the Wrong Hands Through Background Checks

The most important thing we can do to prevent gun violence is to make sure those who would commit violent acts cannot get a firearm in the first place. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which was created by Congress to prevent guns from being sold to prohibited individuals, is a critical tool in achieving that goal. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the background check system has prevented more than 2 million guns from getting into the wrong hands. We know that making the system more efficient, and ensuring that it has all appropriate records about prohibited purchasers, will help enhance public safety. Today, the Administration is announcing the following executive actions to ensure that all gun dealers are licensed and run background checks, and to strengthen the background check system itself:

·       Clarify that it doesn’t matter where you conduct your business—from a store, at gun shows, or over the Internet: If you’re in the business of selling firearms, you must get a license and conduct background checks. Background checks have been shown to keep guns out of the wrong hands, but too many gun sales—particularly online and at gun shows—occur without basic background checks. Today, the Administration took action to ensure that anyone who is “engaged in the business” of selling firearms is licensed and conducts background checks on their customers. Consistent with court rulings on this issue, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has clarified the following principles:

o   A person can be engaged in the business of dealing in firearms regardless of the location in which firearm transactions are conducted. For example, a person can be engaged in the business of dealing in firearms even if the person only conducts firearm transactions at gun shows or through the Internet. Those engaged in the business of dealing in firearms who utilize the Internet or other technologies must obtain a license, just as a dealer whose business is run out of a traditional brick-and-mortar store.

o   Quantity and frequency of sales are relevant indicators. There is no specific threshold number of firearms purchased or sold that triggers the licensure requirement. But it is important to note that even a few transactions, when combined with other evidence, can be sufficient to establish that a person is “engaged in the business.” For example, courts have upheld convictions for dealing without a license when as few as two firearms were sold or when only one or two transactions took place, when other factors also were present.

o   There are criminal penalties for failing to comply with these requirements. A person who willfully engages in the business of dealing in firearms without the required license is subject to criminal prosecution and can be sentenced up to five years in prison and fined up to $250,000. Dealers are also subject to penalties for failing to conduct background checks before completing a sale.

·       Require background checks for people trying to buy some of the most dangerous weapons and other items through a trust or corporation. The National Firearms Act imposes restrictions on sales of some of the most dangerous weapons, such as machine guns and sawed-off shotguns. But because of outdated regulations, individuals have been able to avoid the background check requirement by applying to acquire these firearms and other items through trusts, corporations, and other legal entities. In fact, the number of these applications has increased significantly over the years—from fewer than 900 applications in the year 2000 to more than 90,000 applications in 2014. ATF is finalizing a rule that makes clear that people will no longer be able to avoid background checks by buying NFA guns and other items through a trust or corporation.

·       Ensure States are providing records to the background check system, and work cooperatively with jurisdictions to improve reporting. Congress has prohibited specific categories of people from buying guns—from convicted felons to users of illegal drugs to individuals convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence. In the wake of the shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007, Congress also created incentives for States to make as many relevant records as possible accessible to NICS. Over the past three years, States have increased the number of records they make accessible by nearly 70 percent. To further encourage this reporting, the Attorney General has written a letter to States highlighting the importance of receiving complete criminal history records and criminal dispositions, information on persons disqualified for mental health reasons, and qualifying crimes of domestic violence. The Administration will begin a new dialogue with States to ensure the background check system is as robust as possible, which is a public safety imperative.

·       Make the background check system more efficient and effective. In 2015, NICS received more than 22.2 million background check requests, an average of more than 63,000 per day. By law, a gun dealer can complete a sale to a customer if the background check comes back clean or has taken more than three days to complete. But features of the current system, which was built in the 1990s, are outdated. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will take the following steps to ensure NICS operates more efficiently and effectively to keep guns out of the wrong hands:

o   FBI will hire more than 230 additional NICS examiners and other staff members to assist with processing mandatory background checks. This new hiring will begin immediately and increase the existing workforce by 50 percent. This will reduce the strain on the NICS system and improve its ability to identify dangerous people who are prohibited from buying a gun before the transfer of a firearm is completed.

o   FBI has partnered with the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) to modernize NICS. Although NICS has been routinely upgraded since its launch in 1998, the FBI is committed to making the system more efficient and effective, so that as many background checks as possible are fully processed within the three-day period before a dealer can legally sell a gun even if a background check is not complete. The improvements envisioned by FBI and USDS include processing background checks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to improve overall response time and improving notification of local authorities when certain prohibited persons unlawfully attempt to purchase a firearm.

Making Our Communities Safer from Gun Violence

In order to improve public safety, we need to do more to ensure smart and effective enforcement of our gun laws and make sure that criminals and other prohibited persons cannot get their hands on lost or stolen weapons. The Administration is therefore taking the following actions:

·       Ensure smart and effective enforcement of our gun laws. In a call earlier today, the Attorney General discussed the importance of today’s announcements and directed the Nation’s 93 U.S. Attorneys across the country to continue to focus their resources—as they have for the past several years under the Department’s Smart on Crime initiative—on the most impactful cases, including those targeting violent offenders, illegal firearms traffickers, and dangerous individuals who bypass the background check system to acquire weapons illegally. During the call, the Attorney General also emphasized ongoing initiatives to assist communities in combating violent crime, including ATF’s efforts to target the “worst of the worst” gun crimes. These efforts will also complement the following actions announced today:

o   The President’s budget for FY2017 will include funding for 200 new ATF agents and investigators who can help enforce our gun laws, including the measures announced today. Strategic and impactful enforcement will help take violent criminals off the street, deter other unlawful activity, and prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands

o   ATF is dedicating $4 million and additional personnel to enhance the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN). The NIBIN database includes ballistic evidence that can be used by analysts and investigators to link violent crimes across jurisdictions and to track down shooters who prey on our communities. In February 2016, ATF is standing up the National NIBIN Correlation and Training Center—which will ultimately provide NIBIN matching services at one national location, rather than requiring local police departments to do that work themselves. The Center will provide consistent and capable correlation services, making connections between ballistic crime scene evidence and crime guns locally, regionally, and nationally. These enhancements will support ATF’s crime gun intelligence and enforcement efforts, particularly in communities most affected by violent crime.

o   ATF has established an Internet Investigations Center (IIC) staffed with federal agents, legal counsel, and investigators to track illegal online firearms trafficking and to provide actionable intelligence to agents in the field. The IIC has already identified a number of significant traffickers operating over the Internet. This work has led to prosecutions against individuals or groups using the “dark net” to traffic guns to criminals or attempting to buy firearms illegally online.

·       Ensure that dealers notify law enforcement about the theft or loss of their guns. Under current law, federal firearms dealers and other licensees must report when a gun from their inventory has been lost or stolen. The regulations are ambiguous, however, about who has this responsibility when a gun is lost or stolen in transit. Many lost and stolen guns end up being used in crimes. Over the past five years, an average of 1,333 guns recovered in criminal investigations each year were traced back to a licensee that claimed it never received the gun even though it was never reported lost or stolen either. Today, ATF issued a final rule clarifying that the licensee shipping a gun is responsible for notifying law enforcement upon discovery that it was lost or stolen in transit.

·       Issue a memo directing every U.S. Attorney’s Office to renew domestic violence outreach efforts. In the event of an emergency, victims of domestic violence should call 911 or otherwise contact state or local law enforcement officials, who have a broader range of options for responding to these crimes. To provide an additional resource for state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community groups focused on domestic violence, the Attorney General is issuing a memo directing U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country to engage in renewed efforts to coordinate with these groups to help combat domestic violence and to prevent prohibited persons from obtaining firearms.

Increase Mental Health Treatment and Reporting to the Background Check System

The Administration is committed to improving care for Americans experiencing mental health issues. In the last seven years, our country has made extraordinary progress in expanding mental health coverage for millions of Americans. This includes the Affordable Care Act’s end to insurance company discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, required coverage of mental health and substance use disorder services in the individual and small group markets, and an expansion of mental health and substance use disorder parity policies, all of which are estimated to help more than 60 million Americans. About 13.5 million more Americans have gained Medicaid coverage since October 2013, significantly improving access to mental health care. And thanks to more than $100 million in funding from the Affordable Care Act, community health centers have expanded behavioral health services for nearly 900,000 people nationwide over the past two years. We must continue to remove the stigma around mental illness and its treatment—and make sure that these individuals and their families know they are not alone. While individuals with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators, incidents of violence continue to highlight a crisis in America’s mental health system. In addition to helping people get the treatment they need, we must make sure we keep guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited by law from having them. Today, the Administration is announcing the following steps to help achieve these goals:

·       Dedicate significant new resources to increase access to mental health care. Despite our recent significant gains, less than half of children and adults with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need. To address this, the Administration is proposing a new $500 million investment to help engage individuals with serious mental illness in care, improve access to care by increasing service capacity and the behavioral health workforce, and ensure that behavioral health care systems work for everyone. This effort would increase access to mental health services to protect the health of children and communities, prevent suicide, and promote mental health as a top priority.

·       Include information from the Social Security Administration in the background check system about beneficiaries who are prohibited from possessing a firearm. Current law prohibits individuals from buying a gun if, because of a mental health issue, they are either a danger to themselves or others or are unable to manage their own affairs. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has indicated that it will begin the rulemaking process to ensure that appropriate information in its records is reported to NICS. The reporting that SSA, in consultation with the Department of Justice, is expected to require will cover appropriate records of the approximately 75,000 people each year who have a documented mental health issue, receive disability benefits, and are unable to manage those benefits because of their mental impairment, or who have been found by a state or federal court to be legally incompetent. The rulemaking will also provide a mechanism for people to seek relief from the federal prohibition on possessing a firearm for reasons related to mental health.

·       Remove unnecessary legal barriers preventing States from reporting relevant information to the background check system. Although States generally report criminal history information to NICS, many continue to report little information about individuals who are prohibited by Federal law from possessing or receiving a gun for specific mental health reasons. Some State officials raised concerns about whether such reporting would be precluded by the Privacy Rule issued under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Today, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule expressly permitting certain HIPAA covered entities to provide to the NICS limited demographic and other necessary information about these individuals.

Shaping the Future of Gun Safety Technology

Tens of thousands of people are injured or killed by firearms every year—in many cases by guns that were sold legally but then stolen, misused, or discharged accidentally. Developing and promoting technology that would help prevent these tragedies is an urgent priority. America has done this in many other areas—from making cars safer to improving the tablets and phones we use every day. We know that researchers and engineers are already exploring ideas for improving gun safety and the tracing of lost or stolen guns. Millions of dollars have already been invested to support research into concepts that range from fingerprint scanners to radio-frequency identification to microstamping technology.

As the single largest purchaser of firearms in the country, the Federal Government has a unique opportunity to advance this research and ensure that smart gun technology becomes a reality—and it is possible to do so in a way that makes the public safer and is consistent with the Second Amendment. Today, the President is taking action to further this work in the following way:

·       Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security to take two important steps to promote smart gun technology.

o   Increase research and development efforts. The Presidential Memorandum directs the departments to conduct or sponsor research into gun safety technology that would reduce the frequency of accidental discharge or unauthorized use of firearms, and improve the tracing of lost or stolen guns. Within 90 days, these agencies must prepare a report outlining a research-and-development strategy designed to expedite the real-world deployment of such technology for use in practice.

o   Promote the use and acquisition of new technology. The Presidential Memorandum also directs the departments to review the availability of smart gun technology on a regular basis, and to explore potential ways to further its use and development to more broadly improve gun safety. In connection with these efforts, the departments will consult with other agencies that acquire firearms and take appropriate steps to consider whether including such technology in specifications for acquisition of firearms would be consistent with operational needs.

 



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