Orman says he is open to considering a required background check in order to purchase a weapon at gun shows. "I just do not think it makes sense to make it easy for a convict, or someone who was under a restraining order for domestic abuse to be able to walk into a gun show and easily get a gun," Orman said at the debate.
Roberts says that position threatens all gun owners. "Don't mess with people's right to bear arms with any restrictions," he said in the Hutchinson debate.
Orman says he is open to considering a required background check in order to purchase a weapon at gun shows. "I just do not think it makes sense to make it easy for a convict, or someone who was under a restraining order for domestic abuse to be able to walk into a gun show and easily get a gun," Orman said at the debate.
Roberts says that position threatens all gun owners. "Don't mess with people's right to bear arms with any restrictions," he said in the Hutchinson debate.
Both times that I bought a handgun, I was required to go through a mandatory background check to ensure that I was a US citizen who hadn't been convicted of domestic violence, subject to a restraining order, incarcerated for longer than a year, dishonorably discharged from the military, or determined to be mentally defective. Over 700,000 people who met the description above have been prevented from buying firearms at licensed dealers since the background check requirements went into effect.
The idea that those 700,000 people could simply head to a gun show and buy a firearm without the same background scrutiny doesn't make sense to me. While there are likely other illegal ways for criminals to get firearms, we shouldn't make it easy for a violent offender or a mentally ill individual to get a gun. The process for me took a few minutes and ultimately resulted in me being able to buy my handguns without delay.
As the Shawnee County District Attorney, I am all too familiar with the effects of gun violence on the communities of Kansas. The most critical first step we can take to reduce violence is to enforce the laws we have on the books--like the mandatory minimum five-year federal sentence for felons in possession--and keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals.
I also believe we need to properly and adequately address the lack of mental health services to help those that are most at risk. Without this component, our approach to public policy is incomplete.
Wolf: Strongly Disagree
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| Candidates and political leaders on Gun Control: | |||
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Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015: GA:Chambliss(R) IA:Harkin(D) MI:Levin(D) MT:Baucus(D) NE:Johanns(R) OK:Coburn(R) SD:Johnson(D) WV:Rockefeller(D) Resigned from 113th House: AL-1:Jo Bonner(R) FL-19:Trey Radel(R) LA-5:Rod Alexander(R) MA-5:Ed Markey(D) MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R) NC-12:Melvin Watt(D) SC-1:Tim Scott(R) |
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R) GA-1:Jack Kingston(R) GA-10:Paul Broun(R) GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R) HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D) IA-1:Bruce Braley(D) LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R) ME-2:Mike Michaud(D) MI-14:Gary Peters(D) MT-0:Steve Daines(R) OK-5:James Lankford(R) PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D) TX-36:Steve Stockman(R) WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) |
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R) AR-2:Tim Griffin(R) CA-11:George Miller(D) CA-25:Howard McKeon(R) CA-33:Henry Waxman(D) CA-45:John Campbell(R) IA-3:Tom Latham(R) MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R) NC-6:Howard Coble(R) NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D) NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R) NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D) NY-21:Bill Owens(D) PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R) UT-4:Jim Matheson(D) VA-8:Jim Moran(D) VA-10:Frank Wolf(R) | |
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