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Tearful Obama pleads for ‘urgency’ on gun control

– Gun lobby ‘can’t hold America hostage’ –

Taking on Republicans and the National Rifle Association directly, he decried the pro-gun lobby’s grip on Washington.

“The gun lobby may be holding Congress hostage right now, but they can’t hold America hostage,” he said.

The NRA hit back at Obama’s “emotional, condescending lecture.”

“The timing of this announcement, in the eighth and final year of his presidency, demonstrates not only political exploitation but a fundamental lack of seriousness,” said Chris Cox, a senior NRA official.

A legal challenge is likely.

Polls have shown most Americans back tougher gun laws.

But that support has ebbed recently amid concerns about the Islamic State group and the wider threat from terrorism.

Republicans, who have long championed gun owners, quickly castigated Obama for trampling on the constitutional right to bear arms.

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“His words and actions amount to a form of intimidation that undermines liberty,” said the speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan.

“No matter what President Obama says, his word does not trump the Second Amendment. We will conduct vigilant oversight. His executive order will no doubt be challenged in the courts.”

The measures would tighten rules on who must register as a gun dealer, narrow a “gun show” loophole that allows buyers to dodge background checks, and crack down on “straw purchases” of weapons through intermediaries.

It would also encourage the Pentagon, with its vast buying power, to procure weapons from manufacturers who invest in “gun safety technology,” such as fingerprint scanners that could be applied to commercial weapons.

Obama’s remarks and recourse to controversial executive actions during an election year ensure that gun control will feature prominently in the 2016 race for the White House.

In the past, both Democrats and Republicans have used the issue to invigorate supporters and raise campaign funds.

Gun manufacturers frequently see sales surge each time tighter gun controls are proposed or a mass shooting occurs.

According to FBI figures, requests for background checks jumped by a third to over three million in December.

Gunmaker Smith and Wesson on Monday hiked its earnings estimates for the year ending in April, citing data which point to increased sales.

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