Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker on Monday unveiled a new gun control plan that calls for federal licenses for gun owners and an investigation into the National Rifle Association’s nonprofit status.
The New Jersey senator’s campaign called Booker’s plan the “most sweeping gun violence prevention plan ever put forth by a presidential candidate.”
“As president, we will make commonsense changes to our gun laws such as requiring a license to purchase a gun that includes universal background checks, banning assault weapons, and closing the loopholes that allow domestic abusers and people on terrorist watch lists to get their hands on a gun,” Booker said in a statement. “I am sick and tired of hearing thoughts and prayers for the communities that have been shattered by gun violence — it is time for bold action.”
[Opinion: Cory Booker wants to regulate guns like cars — except when he doesn’t]
Several other Democratic presidential candidates, including Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., have proposed universal background checks and a ban on “assault weapons” as part of their campaign platforms, but Booker goes further in proposing a national firearm licensing system.
Under the plan, individuals would need to submit fingerprints, complete a background check, and show completion of a certified gun safety course in order to obtain a federal gun license. It would also limit gun purchasers to buying one handgun per month and ban “assault weapons,” high-capacity magazines, and bump stocks.
Booker’s call for the IRS to investigate the NRA’s designation as a 501(c)4 social welfare organization follows the lead of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who opened an investigation last month into the NRA’s tax-exempt status and finances. James said in an interview with Ebony magazine last October that the NRA is a “terrorist organization” rather than a charitable organization.
