Delegation says executive order on gun control would subvert legislative process
BY RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Thursday, January 10, 2013
1/10/13 at 2:53 PM
Oklahoma's congressional delegation came out in force Thursday against gun control by executive order.
“What the president and the executive branch are trying to do on gun control is absurd," said 2nd District Rep. Markwayne Mullin. "The president’s use of executive orders to limit Second Amendment rights is only a tactic to bypass Congress and force untested laws onto the American people."
Other members of the delegation responded along the same lines, if with somewhat more restraint, to Vice President Joe Biden's remark Wednesday that President Barack Obama would resort to executive orders to implement some form of additional gun control in the event Congress does not act.
"President Obama ought not use executive orders to erode civil liberties," said 1st District Rep. Jim Bridenstine. "I will make every effort to preclude such efforts and stand firm for the Second Amendment."
Third District Congressman Frank Lucas agreed.
“I share the concerns of my constituents on any usurpation of power from Congress that the president might use through executive order to restrict gun rights,” Lucas said. “Such actions would be a blatant disregard for the legislative branch and the appropriate process of enacting laws.
"I believe at this current time, when emotions are high, it is important for leaders of our country to take a step back and make sound and rational decisions while considering all factors contributing to recent tragedies," he said.
Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole said he is "confident House Republicans would act to override any presidential order that subverts the legislative process to infringe on Second Amendment rights."
"Rushing through new laws that limit the rights of law-abiding gun owners is not the answer to gun violence," Cole said. "This is a complex cultural, legal and mental health issue that requires a deliberative and transparent debate among the American people and their representatives in Congress."
Biden, who has been meeting with interest groups on the subject, said Thursday that he plans to submit a proposal to the president Tuesday.
Associated Images:
U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin. AP File Photo
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