United States President Barack Obama is ready to ink a new gun control bill being dubbed the “strongest bill” ever on the issue, a White House aide reportedly said on Sunday as fears abound that the legislation is being watered down in order to appease conservatives in the country. “I think this is a great step toward helping to end the massive number of gun violence in the country that is really hurting America,” a top aide to a Democratic Senator told Bikyanews.com on Sunday via email. “We need gun control now more than ever,” the aide added. Tens of thousands of Americans are killed annually in gun-related violence, and while the Obama administration has been pushing for stronger restrictions on gun ownership, conservative groups led by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and others have been calling for no change to the gun laws on the books, even arguing that if more people had guns, shootings would not happen. With Congress returning to work on Monday, the debate over guns and America's poor legislation on the matter is likely to take center stage and many Senators and Congresspeople hope legislation can be passed to help mitigate the rise in gun violence. And with an assault weapons ban seemingly dead in the water, focus is on whether Washington can push through legislation to expand background checks for all firearms purchases. Although supported by around 90 percent of Americans, background checks are likely to face fierce opposition from Republican lawmakers. Despite lengthy negotiations, Democratic leaders have yet to strike a deal that would see the measure pass through the Senate. Speaking on ABC's This Week, Dan Pfeiffer, a senior adviser to the president, accused Republicans of turning their backs on the families of the Newtown, where 20 children and 6 adults died in a school massacre in December. BN
