U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would defund executive actions on gun control announced last week by President Barack Obama.
The Defending Gun Rights Against Executive Overreach Act, H.R. 4379, also acts to ensure that no federal funds are used by the president to enforce additional executive action on gun control introduced while the president remains in office.
“Expanding background checks isn’t going to stop radical Islamic terrorism, and none of the measures President Obama announced last week would have prevented the horrible string of mass shootings in this country over the past few years,” Graves said. “That is why I am introducing a bill that blocks funding for any of the President’s executive orders affecting our gun rights during the remainder of his time in office.
“I encourage the president to follow the rule of law and work with Congress to develop strategies that limit gun violence by addressing mental illness in this country. Determining the causes of this problem, whether they be societal, economic, genetic, or some combination of the three, will be critical toward preventing many of the tragedies we’ve seen too often in America.”
The Associated Press recently reported that none of the measures announced by the president on Jan. 5 would have been effective in preventing the mass shootings he referenced in his press conference on taking executive action.