Statement from President Obama on Senate Background Checks Agreement
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
April 10, 2013
Statement from the President on Senate Background Checks Agreement
I applaud Senators Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey for their leadership on forging a bipartisan agreement around commonsense background checks that will make it harder for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun.
This is not my bill, and there are aspects of the agreement that I might prefer to be stronger. But the agreement does represent welcome and significant bipartisan progress. It recognizes that there are good people on both sides of this issue, and we dont have to agree on everything to know that weve got to do something to stem the tide of gun violence.
Of course, a lot of work remains. Congress needs to finish the job. The Senate must overcome obstruction by defeating a threatened filibuster, and allow a vote on this and other commonsense reforms to protect our kids and our communities. Any bill still has to clear the House. So Im going to keep asking the American people to stand up and raise their voices, because these measures deserve a vote and so do the families and communities theyre designed to protect.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/04/10/statement-president-senate-background-checks-agreement