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Organizing For Action Makes Gun Reform Push As Senate Vote Nears

Obama-Allied Group To Back Major Gun Reform Push As Vote Nears
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Senior Politics Editor, HuffPost

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WASHINGTON -- Organizing for Action, the advocacy group formed after President Barack Obama's reelection to promote his legislative priorities, is set to back a major new push for gun control as the Senate gears up for a critical vote.

The organization, along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, will host community events across the country on April 13 designed to pressure Congress to act on gun control legislation, according to sources in the group. The theme, tellingly, will be "demand action" and "we have not forgotten." It is a nod to the disconnect between public opinion polls -- which show up to 90 percent of voters backing certain gun policy reforms -- and Congress, where those same reforms face a tough path to passage.

OFA has made background check legislation in particular its primary focus. The group, which succeeded the president's campaign apparatus and is led by some of his former top advisers, has pledged to turn its grassroots muscle into legislative action.

But gun policy has proved trickier than first anticipated. The momentum to pass reforms in the aftermath of the December shooting in Newtown, Conn., appears to have dissipated. A proposed assault weapons ban and a ban on high-capacity magazines now seem dead on arrival in the Senate, while the background check bill will likely have to be watered down significantly to avoid a filibuster led by Republicans and some conservative Democrats.

OFA's goal is to generate enough local pressure so that those senators, as well as members of the House of Representatives, feel that it's in their best interest politically to back legislation. Officials with the group declined to offer specific details on the gun control push, such as which lawmakers would be targeted and whether any politicians, the president included, would be involved.

"These are going to be local events to call Congress to action," was all one official would say, "and we will have more information about exact locations early next week."

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Before You Go

Obama's Gun Control Proposal Explained
Funds For First Responders(01 of22)
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The Obama administration will call on Congress to provide additional funding to train public and private personnel at schools to respond to active shooter situations. (credit:AP)
Invest In School Safety Strategies(02 of22)
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The Obama administration, through executive action, encourages school districts to use Comprehensive School Safety Grants to purchase school safety equipment, develop and update public safety plans, conduct threat assessments and train "crisis intervention teams" of law enforcement officers to work with the mental health community while responding and assisting students in crisis. (credit:AP)
Money For Safer & Nurturing School Climates(03 of22)
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The Obama administration cites that with technical assistance from the Department of Education, 18,000 schools have already put evidence-based strategies to improve school climate into action. Through executive action, the administration proposes a new $50 million initiative to help 8,000 more schools train teachers and staff to implement these strategies. (credit:AP)
Resources For Youth Who Witness Violence(04 of22)
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To help schools break the cycle of violence, the administration will urge Congress to provide $25 million to offer students mental health services for trauma or anxiety, conflict resolution programs and other school-based violence prevention initiatives. (credit:AP)
Incentives For Schools To Hire Resource Officers(05 of22)
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Under Obama's executive action, the Department of Justice will provide an incentive for police departments that hire officers through COPS Hiring Grants by providing a preference for grant applications that support school resource officers. (credit:AP)
Close Background Check Loopholes(06 of22)
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The Department of Justice will invest $20 million in FY2013 to give states stronger incentives to share information with the background check system. President Obama signed executive action requiring federal agencies to make crucial records available to the background check system and also to ensure that such records are frequently updated. (credit:AP)
Boost Gun Owner Accountability & Responsibility(07 of22)
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President Obama signed an executive action reaffirming his respect for the Second Amendment, but acknowledging that the right to bear arms comes with a responsibility to safely store guns to prevent them from being accidentally or intentionally used to harm others. (credit:AP)
Serious Punishment For Gun Trafficking(08 of22)
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Today, guns can be purchased easily from unlicensed dealers or from "straw purchasers" who pass the required background check, but give the guns to criminals. The Obama administration will include an explicit law against straw purchasing and others who traffic guns, including prosecutions for paperwork violations. (credit:AP)
15,000 Cops On The Street(09 of22)
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The Obama administration recognizes that it is crucial to keep more officers within communities and neighborhoods in order to prevent gun violence. The president calls on Congress to put forth a $4 billion proposal to help keep 15,000 police officers on the streets across the country. (credit:AP)
Assault Weapons Ban(10 of22)
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The federal assault weapons ban that was in place from 1994 to 2004 was a first step, but President Obama acknowledged that manufacturers were able to circumvent the prohibition with cosmetic modifications to their weapons. Obama is pressing Congress to introduce legislation reinstating and expanding the ban to include all assault weapons. (credit:AP)
High-Capacity Magazine Ban(11 of22)
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President Obama will urge Congress to reinstate the prohibition on ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds. Shooters at Virginia Tech, Tucson, Ariz., Aurora, Colo., Oak Creek, Wis. and Newtown, Conn. all used magazines that had a capacity of more than 10 rounds, which come standard with many handguns and rifles. (credit:AP)
Remove ATF Restrictions(12 of22)
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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is required to authorize the importation of dangerous antique weapons that are at least 50 years old. Obama will press Congress to remove restrictions and enable the ATF to ensure that incoming weapons are actually acquired as collectibles and not for putting the weapons in the wrong hands. (credit:AP)
Broader Access To Reports On Lost & Stolen Guns(13 of22)
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Under Obama's executive action, the Department of Justice plans to publish an annual report on lost and stolen guns to ensure data collected by the ATF is available. (credit:Getty Images)
Protect Doctors Who Talk About Guns(14 of22)
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Some have erroneously claimed that language in the Affordable Care Act prohibits doctors from asking patients about guns and gun safety. According to Obama's executive action, the administration will issue guidance clarifying this misconception and reiterating the importance of protecting doctors who have discussions on safe storage of firearms, especially if their patients show signs of certain mental illnesses, have young children or have a mentally ill family member at home. (credit:AP)
Promote Responsible Gun Ownership(15 of22)
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As declared by Obama's executive action, the administration will encourage gun owners to take responsibility for keeping their guns safe through a national campaign promoting common-sense gun safety measures. (credit:AP)
Enhance Gun Tracing Data(16 of22)
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Law enforcement can trace a gun's path from it's manufacturer, the dealer who sold it and its first purchaser. However, not all federal law enforcement agencies require a trace on guns they recover and keep in custody. President Obama signed executive action requiring a trace on all firearms. (credit:AP)
Promote Safe Gun Safety Technology(17 of22)
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The president is directing the attorney general through executive action to work with technology experts to review emerging gun safety technology that helps guard against unauthorized access and use. (credit:AP)
$150 Million For In-School Resources(18 of22)
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The Obama administration is urging Congress to take up a Comprehensive School Safety program that will offer $150 million to school districts and law enforcement agencies to hire resource officers, school psychologists, social workers and counselors. The Department of Justice will also develop a model for schools that use resource officers, including age-appropriate methods for working with students. (credit:DEAN J. KOEPFLER/ THE NEWS TRIBUNE/ AP)
Change School Discipline Practices(19 of22)
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Students who are suspended or expelled are far more likely to repeat a grade, not graduate or become involved in the juvenile justice system. The Obama administration believes effective school discipline policies are critical to addressing school and community crime and violence issues. Under Obama's executive action, the Department of Education will collect and execute best practices on school discipline policies and help schools implement these policies. (credit:AP)
Mental Health Treatment For Youth(20 of22)
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Through partnerships such as the newly proposed Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education), President Obama is urging Congress to take up a comprehensive plan to reach 750,000 young people through programs for early detection of mental illness and swift treatment. Project AWARE includes $15 million for training teachers and other adults who interact with youth to detect and respond to mental illness. (credit:AP)
Clarify Mental Health Coverage In Private Insurance Plans(21 of22)
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By executive action, Obama announced a plan to finalize regulations that would require group health plans offering mental health care to cover such services at parity under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Additionally, the Affordable Care Act requires all new small group and individual plans to cover mental health and substance abuse services. (credit:AP)
Mental Health Coverage For Medicaid Recipients(22 of22)
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There is some evidence that Medicaid plans do not always meeting mental health parity requirements. In an executive action, the Obama administration issued a letter to state health officials insisting that these plans must comply with mental health parity requirements. (credit:AP)
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