My Response to POTUS's 23 Executive Actions/Orders

My comments in bold.

The White House released details on the 23 executive actions that Obama signed yesterday afternoon. They include:

1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system. Funny, I thought that info already was available.

2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system. No more doctor/patient privilege.

3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system. Bribe the states so they will give up info on its citizens.

4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks. The AG? Really? The guy who’s been running illegal guns into Mexico? Nice.

5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun. You mean to tell me that law enforcement doesn’t already have this ability?

6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers. Since it’s no different, what’s the point?

7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign. I can almost get behind this IF the money used is private and not federal.

8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission). What the hell does this have to do with any kind of violent shootings? I’m fairly certain that the bad guys don’t use gun locks.

9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations. Again, aren’t they already doing this?

10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement. This one actually makes sense.

11. Nominate an ATF director. Or we could just do away with the ATF all together.

12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations. This one makes sense as well. 

13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime. So, the cops haven’t been doing this?!?

14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence. This is code for “allocate dollars that we can then use to further our new ‘Fast and Furious’ project.”

15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies. Guns are perfectly safe already. People on the other hand…

16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes. What does having an ingrown toenail have to do with my having guns in the house.

17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities. Doctors are smart folks. I’m sure they already know this.

18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers. Will the “resource officers” be armed? If not, what’s the point?

19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education. That should be the responsibility of the school, house of worship and institute for higher learning.

20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover. Ok, I’m officially lost in the sauce. WHAT THE HELL does this have to do with anything?

21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges. See above.

22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations. See above.

23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health. See above.