ARS to Air New National Television Ad Applauding White House Executive Action to Narrow Gun Background Check Loopholes
January 6, 2015 – Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), the gun violence prevention group founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Navy combat veteran Captain Mark Kelly, today released a new television ad applauding this week’s White House executive action to reduce gun violence by immediately narrowing the loopholes that let people buy guns without a background check. The ad also highlights recent research showing that 73 percent of likely 2016 voters support an executive action by President Obama on background checks.
The 30-second ad, titled “It’s Working,” will air on national cable beginning Thursday, including before and after President Obama’s town hall on gun violence hosted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper on January 7th . Both Congresswoman Giffords and Captain Kelly will attend the town hall.
“Americans, including gun owners and Republicans, support the kind of commonsense steps taken by President Obama this week to keep guns out of the wrong hands,” said Hayley Zachary, Executive Director of Americans for Responsible Solutions. “Americans need to know their calls for commonsense change are being heard, and that even as Congress remains in the gun lobby’s grip, our leaders can act to make our communities safer. Their calls for change are working.”
A recent survey of likely 2016 voters conducted on behalf of ARS found that a supermajority of voters – along with a majority of Republicans and gun owners – support an executive action requiring currently unlicensed high-volume gun sellers to conduct background checks on all buyers, including online and at gun shows – by clarifying and tightening the legal definition of gun dealers, who are required under law to conduct background checks on gun sales.
Among the survey’s findings:
- A supermajority of voters – 73 percent – support “an executive action by President Obama that would require anyone who sells a large number of guns per year to become a licensed gun dealer and require background checks on all of their gun sales, including those sold online or at gun shows,” with a 53-percent majority saying they strongly support such action and only 25 percent opposing it.
- A majority of Republicans support an executive action on background checks. Despite their disagreement with the President on other policy issues, a 56 percent majority of self-ascribed Republicans support a potential executive action.
- Nearly two-thirds of gun owners also support a potential executive action. Sixty-four percent of gun owners and 56 percent of voters who are favorably disposed toward the National Rifle Association also support a potential executive action.
- Support among key groups like independents in presidential battleground states is high. As noted above, 70 percent of voters in the presidential battleground support a potential executive action, including 68 percent of independent voters, 76 percent of independent women, 77 percent of non-college women and 72 percent of mothers. Among young voters support jumps to 90 percent.
- Support for potential executive action reflects the national consensus on the need for stronger gun laws. A 60-percent majority believes the laws covering the sale of guns should be made stronger, while just 7 percent believe they should be weakened.
A memo on the new research can be found here .
TRANSCRIPT: “IT’S WORKING”
NARRATOR: “Mass shootings. Daily gun violence. But Congress won’t act. Now there’s good news: New actions tightens the loophole that allowed criminal to get guns without a background check. Most Americans, most gun owners, most Republicans and Democrats – even those favorable to the NRA – support this action to make our country safer. Keep speaking up for commonsense solutions to gun violence. It’s working.”