In the latest Omnibus Spending bill that will fund the Feds for 2012, Congress once again included a provision to prevent gun control efforts by government agencies. However, President Obama, in a signing statement (those little gotchas also favored by President Bush), has said he will not follow the will of Congress. He said he will not be prevented from using funds for gun control if deeemed "necessary and expedient."
The Provision has been expanded and strengthened by Congress since 1996 to prevent the Centers for Disease Control from treating guns as a disease or supporting gun-safety research (which usually means magic bullets or trigger locks). Now it has been expanded to include the National Institutes for Health.
Obama has flipped the Imperial finger once again: See here from The Hill: Obama-says-hes-not-bound-by-gun-control-ban-in-spending-bill. Wrapping himself in the mantle of the COnstitution, which he has studiously been ignoring for three years, the signing statement says: (That provision) "could prevent me from fulfilling my constitutional responsibilities, by denying me the assistance of senior advisers and by obstructing my supervision of executive branch officials in the execution of their statutory responsibilities," Obama said. "I have informed the Congress that I will interpret these provisions consistent with my constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.""
By the way, in 2008 Obama promised not to be like George Bush and not to use signing statements. ""That's not part of his power, but this is part of the whole theory of George Bush that he can make laws as he goes along. I disagree with that. I taught the Constitution for 10 years. I believe in the Constitution and I will obey the Constitution of the United States. We're not going to use signing statements as a way of doing an end-run around Congress," then-Senator Obama said as a presidential candidate in 2008." From here: Obama_to_ignore_20_policy_riders_in_omnibus_funding_bill
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