Hillary Rodham Clinton laid out her plans to combat gun violence today during a town hall event on the campus of Manchester Community College in Manchester, New Hampshire. Clinton’s plan, which was also released in a post on The Briefing, contains many parts to help cut down the 33,000 deaths every year that occur because of guns and to combat the fact that 20% – 40% of gun purchases in the United States are completed without a background check. Clinton calls for comprehensive background check reform, closing the “Charleston Loophole,” which allows a gun purchase to continue if a background check is not complete after three days, and to introduce tighter restrictions on internet and gun show sales.
Clinton vowed to fight the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other lobbying efforts to curb gun control. She would repeal the “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,” a law that protects gun manufacturers and dealers from being held responsible for the violence their guns commit. She is also calling for stricter regulations and more frequent inspects of gun dealers.
Clinton argued that checking a person’s background is key to ensuring whether they should own a gun. She vowed to support legislation which would prevent domestic abusers from buying and possessing guns, make “straw purchasing” (buying a gun for someone who is a convicted felon) a federal crime, improve existing regulations to ensure guns stay out of the hands of those who are mentally ill, and renew the ban on military-style assault weapons. Clinton points out that a lot of what she proposes is not new, but existing legislation is either extremely weak or was allowed to expire. She spoke strongly during the event, but she broke down for moment when she introduced, Nicole Hockley, the mother of a child killed in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. She is now the executive director of the group Sandy Hook Promise.
She vowed to make gun control a top priority because too many people have died as a result of weak laws. She said, “It’s time for us to say, ‘Wait a minute, we’re better than this, our country is better than this, and there are steps we can take that improve gun safety and further prevention of violence. We haven’t done what we need to do to try and make our children safe. That’s what’s behind the proposals I’m making. They’re not new — there’s nothing unique about them other than that I’m so determined to do everything I possibly can.”
A full video from the town hall event is available on C-SPAN.
Tomorrow, Clinton begins a two day campaign trip to Iowa where she is schedule to take place in four events. For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
News Source: The New York Times, International Business Times, The Briefing
Yesterday, Hillary Rodham Clinton attended two town hall events in Iowa. The first was held in Coralville, where Clinton hosted an outdoor event on an unseasonably warm day. Clinton opened the event with remarks about several of her policy points including gun control. Clinton then answered a number of questions from those in attendance. She was asked about a variety of topics including the backlog at the Department of Veteran Affairs, tensions with China, and immigration. Clinton then went to Grinnell College in Grinnell. Clinton held a very similar event where, again, she proposed tougher gun regulations and taking the National Rifle Association. She said, “A majority of Americans and a majority of gun owners know we have to make the changes. What stands in the way? One of the most powerful lobbies in our country. The NRA, that intimidates and bullies legislators and governors into doing what they want. That must end.”
Hillary Clinton Speeches 