Barack Obama Quotes

We need a comprehensive strategy that includes expanding criminal background checks for all commercial gun sales, dedicated federal law to combat gun trafficking, and a strong commitment to mental health services.

Even though New York is the safest big city in the nation, there are still far too many illegal guns on our streets. Nearly all of them arrive from out of state - and most are sold by a small group of rogue gun dealers who refuse to obey federal laws.

When I think about what we need to do, we have 33,000 people a year who die from guns. I think we need comprehensive background checks, need to close the online loophole, close the gun show loophole. There's other matters that I think are sensible that are the kind of reforms that would make a difference that are not in any way conflicting with the Second Amendment.

Illegal guns don't belong on our streets and we're sending that message loud and clear. We're determined to see that gun dealers who break the law are held accountable, and that criminals who carry illegal loaded guns serve serious time behind bars.

No legislation is going to stop a criminal from getting a gun, and anybody who says it will is wrong. Criminals will get a gun no matter what they have to do. They'll steal it. They'll borrow it. They'll have someone else buy it for them.

While law enforcement officers are working hard in Illinois to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, they face a nearly impossible task because of weak gun laws in surrounding states.

I support common-sense measures like universal background checks to prevent guns from falling into the hands of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill.

One the most efficient ways to combat gun violence is to prevent criminals from obtaining guns in the first place.

We need commonsense measures, gun control measures, that save lives. I think that it is important that we keep the firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill and criminals and terrorists. And I also think, by strengthening our background check system and expanding mental health treatment, we can do that as well.

Background checks applied universally and nationally would take millions of illegal guns off the streets of our cities.

We have to tighten our gun laws and keep guns out of the hands of criminals, the mentally ill, and domestic abusers.

Because I support the Second Amendment doesn't mean that I want people who shouldn't have guns to be able to threaten you, kill you or members of your family.

Right now - and this is something Donald [Trump] has supported, along with the gun lobby - right now, we've got too many military- style weapons on the streets. In a lot of places, our police are outgunned. We need comprehensive background checks, and we need to keep guns out of the hands of those who will do harm.

Strict gun laws are about as effective as strict drug laws...It pains me to say this, but the NRA seems to be right: The cities and states that have the toughest gun laws have the most murder and mayhem.

I think we can provide common-sense approaches to the issue of illegal guns that are ending up on the streets. We can make sure that criminals don't have guns in their hands. We can make certain that those who are mentally deranged are not getting a hold of handguns. We can trace guns that have been used in crimes to unscrupulous gun dealers that may be selling to straw purchasers and dumping them on the streets.

There is no law in the world - there is no law unwritten, there's no law on the books - that's gonna stop a criminal from getting a gun.

I would like to save lives. Now you know, the gun lobby will say, "You can't stop everybody." And I would agree with that: You can't stop everybody. Isn't it worth stopping as many as possible, saving as many lives as we can? And I think comprehensive background checks and trying to keep guns outta the wrong hands would help us do that.

The first thing is we got to make sure we try to keep guns out of the wrong hands. And I want comprehensive background checks.

What is wrong with keeping guns out of the hands of the wrong people?

I do think gun control is important. I am a supporter of gun control.

We have to tackle the plague of gun violence.

Gun owners and non-gun owners alike agree on expanding background checks, making gun trafficking a serious crime with stiff penalties, making it illegal for all stalkers and all domestic abusers to buy guns, and expanding mental health resources so the mentally ill find it easier to receive treatment than to buy firearms.

We have to go to war against the people who enable the gun violence, the people who stop us from keeping guns out of the hands of mentally unstable people, of felons, and that means the NRA leadership.

The Brady Act was passed in response to what Congress described as an 'epidemic of gun violence.'

There's no evidence that registering guns reduces the level of gun violence. It's not that I don't think it's something worth doing, but it's something you do much later.