Robert Bentley to Alabama congressional delegation: Fight Obama on gun rights

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Robert Bentley gavel
Photo Credit: AP Photo

The office of Gov. Robert Bentley released its first statement of the New Year on Tuesday. Predictably, it was in keeping with his efforts to paint himself as ahead of the conservative curve despite his lingering image as a mushy moderate.

Bentley implored the nine members of Alabama’s congressional delegation to keep up the fight against gun control, even as President Barack Obama announced plans to take executive action to tighten restrictions on who can access a firearm, citing wide support among the American public.

“America’s founding fathers prioritized the right to keep and bear arms, and President Obama is overstepping his authority and threatening to take away our Second Amendment rights,” said Bentley in a brief statement Tuesday. “It is unacceptable for the President to bypass Congress and the U.S. Constitution with his plan.”

Obama is expected to announce moves to close the so-called “gun show loophole” that allows prospective gun owners in many states to avoid a background check, a divisive issue going back to at least the Clinton administration. Obama may also announce support for requiring background checks for online firearms purchases.

Those proposed moves are a bridge too far for Bentley, who said the administration is overstepping its role vis-á-vis Congress and the states.

“The overreach by the President seems to be his preferred way of leading our country, and it is another reason why it is critical for Americans to send a conservative back to the White House in November. I encourage the Alabama congressional delegation to listen to the message of the Alabama people and fight to protect the fundamental rights of gun owners,” Bentley concluded.

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