South Dakota congressional members respond to President’s orders

Via KSFY

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama announced plans Tuesday to require background checks for guns purchased from dealers even if they’re bought online or at gun shows.

It’s one of four Executive Orders laid out by the President aimed at curbing gun violence despite opposition in Congress to new gun laws.

South Dakota’s members of Congress responded Tuesday afternoon by expressing their disappointment in the President’s decision to bypass Congress.

“Even after several years of unconstitutional executive overreach, it’s still alarming that when the legislative outcome doesn’t match President Obama’s desired result he is so willing to repeatedly circumvent Congress and the will of the American people,” said Senator John Thune. “The Senate has debated many of these proposals on more than one occasion and the people’s elected representatives in Congress have rejected increasing the burden on law-abiding citizens. Our nation’s response to the recent tragedies should focus on a careful review of the root causes of these violent behaviors and how to stop them from happening in the future. President Obama should shelve his ‘my way or the highway’ approach and face the reality that Congress and the American people have a voice in how this nation is governed.”

“The executive actions the president announced today will make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to legally obtain firearms and do nothing to fix the problem of gun violence,” said Senator Mike Rounds. “Criminals and terrorists aren’t going to obey the law anyway. I will continue to fight against the president’s endless attack on our 2nd amendment rights.”

“Especially in a debate over something as important as the Second Amendment, bypassing Congress and the American people, as the President is attempting to do, cannot be tolerated,” said Representative Kristi Noem. Congress will be providing vigilant oversight of the President’s actions and holding him accountable wherever possible. I fully expect challenges to be made in the courts as well. The right to bear arms is carefully protected within our Constitution and yet the President has time and again dismissed this as outdated. He is wrong. The Second Amendment and limits to executive authority are fundamental to how we operate as a nation today – just as they were at our founding. I stand firmly behind them.”