GOP freshman proposes bill blocking Obama's gun actions

Freshman Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) on Wednesday introduced a bill that would stop the executive actions President Obama announced last week on gun control.

His bill, the Restore the Constitution Act, would find any executive action to be advisory only in nature if it is found to infringe on the constitutional duties of Congress under Article I, or the 2nd Amendment dealing with the right to bear arms.

The bill is a reaction to Obama's actions last week. Obama signed three executive orders and 20 executive actions, many of them aimed at increasing data on gun ownership and exploring the links between mental health disorders and gun violence.

None of them appear to make any direct imposition on gun ownership, although he also asked Congress to approve an assault weapons ban. Nonetheless, many Republicans said Obama's actions seemed to be an attempt to circumvent Congress.

"No matter his intentions, the Constitution flatly prohibits the president from just making up his own laws," Stockman said.

"The orders issued by President Obama are not intended to execute laws passed by the Congress," he added. "President Obama is abusing his authority to write his own unaccountable laws. Regardless of your position on gun rights, Congress has an obligation to assert its constitutional authority as the only lawful rulemaking body."

Stockman's bill is the House companion to Sen. Rand Paul's "Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act."

---