Obama Looks to Expand Background Checks for Gun Sales

President Barack Obama’s advisers are finalizing a proposal to expand background checks for gun sales, a plan that would not need Congressional approval.

Obama requested the plan from his team following the October mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, the AP reports. White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said Wednesday the President asked for the proposal “in short order” and that the review will recommend expanding background checks.

White House officials have been investigating ways to close the loophole that allows people to buy firearms outside of licensed dealers without undergoing background checks. Drafting a viable executive order to reinterpret the law and require more background checks has been difficult, the LA Times reports.

[AP]