The White House announced it would close two gun sale loopholes through executive authority by subjecting gun purchases by corporations and trusts to background checks, banning almost all re-imports of military surplus firearms to private entities, The Washington Post reported.
"The President and Vice President remain committed to using all the tools in their power to make progress toward reducing gun violence," the White House said in a statement. "If Congress won't action, we'll fight for a new Congress, it's that simple," Vice President Joe Biden said.
The first measure seeks to close a loophole to make sure felons who have been convicted of domestic violence could get out of required background checks for registering the gun through a trust or corporation, news reports said.
The other measure ends a government practice, which allow military weapons that are sold or donated by the U.S. to thereby be re-imported in the U.S. by private groups. The new policy stipulates that only museums and a few other institutions will be allowed to re-import the weapons.
"Like so many things about our gun policy, it is almost ridiculous to think that these steps were necessary. It is common sense to prevent felons from so easily circumventing background checks, and we should not allow private entities to purchase military-grade assault weapons any more than we should allow them to buy tanks," the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America said in a statement. "These are important steps in the right direction. But we need to do more."
In response, National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said, "The Obama administration has once again completely missed the mark when it comes to stopping violent crime... This administration should get serious about prosecuting violent criminals who misuse guns and stop focusing its efforts on law-abiding gun owners."
The Obama administration is still reeling from not being able to effective pass gun control measures following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Massachusetts last December.
