National Rifle Association: Congress

Congress Dept: The president's sweeping, $500 million plan, coming one month after the school massacre in Connecticut, marks the most comprehensive effort to tighten gun laws in nearly two decades. But his proposals, most of which are opposed by the powerful National Rifle Association and its allies in Washington, face a doubtful future in a divided Congress where Republicans control the House of Representaives. What are executive orders?, according to CBC. They have typically been used to alter existing laws instead of creating new ones and Congress can override an executive order by passing legislation that opposes it. The Supreme Court can also overturn executive orders and u.S. President Barack Obama is urging a reluctant Congress to require background checks for all gun sales and ban both military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines in an emotion-laden plea to curb gun violence in America, though he acknowledged he's in for an uphill battle. Executive orders are directives issued by the president that carry the weight of a federal law. A somewhat nebulous concept, these orders have no specific basis in the U.S. Constitution. They are used to direct and manage the federal government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.