President Obama is going forward with his push to outline a new gun control policy, heading to Minneapolis to visit the police department’s special operations centers.
The president is looking to place a ban on assault weapons, in wake of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December.
From the Associated Press:
Obama will pitch his proposals to stem gun violence Monday in Minnesota, a Democratic-leaning state where officials have been studying ways to reduce gun-related attacks and accidents for several years. His visit to the Minneapolis Police Department’s Special Operations Center will mark the first time Obama has campaigned on his controversial proposals outside of Washington.
Ahead of the trip, the White House released a photo of the president skeet shooting at Camp David, the presidential retreat. Obama cited skeet shooting when asked in a recent interview whether he had ever shot a gun.
The president unveiled his sweeping package of proposals for curbing gun violence last month in response to the horrific mass shooting at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school. He vowed to use the full weight of his office to fight for the proposals, many of which face tough opposition from congressional lawmakers and the powerful National Rifle Association.
The reinstatement of the assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004, is expected to be the steepest climb for Obama. Universal background checks for gun purchasers may have an easier time passing Congress, though the NRA also opposes that measure.
In addition to mass shootings, the president is being brought to task on the rampant gun violence in Chicago. Obama notes Chicago as home base, and has a home not far from the location that 15-year-old Hadiya Pendelton was killed. Pendelton was part of a group that performed at the president’s inauguration.
The city has had more than 40 shooting deaths in the month of January.
—
Photo: Pete Souza
