Obama's Senior Advisor: Administration Continues to Lay Foundation for Gun Control Legislation

On Thursday, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama (described as his "closest aide"), appeared at a question and answer session hosted by the City Club of Chicago. While answering a question regarding immigration reform, Jarrett commented on the administration's gun control efforts and made clear that part of their strategy is to pave the way for a future administration to enact restrictions.

After citing the President's failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform as one of her "largest frustrations and disappointments," she mentioned the administration's inability to enact gun control legislation as a similar "disappointment."

Later in her answer, Jarrett stated:

By the same vein, it's also a period in the presidency where you start to realize that everything you hoped and dreamed for when we first started might not come to fruition. But if you take an issue like healthcare reform, something like seven presidents before President Obama laid the foundation for healthcare reform and then he was able to take it over the finish line. And so, we hope for issues like sensible gun legislation as well as comprehensive immigration reform that the next president will have no choice but to take it up.

Jarrett's answer makes clear that the administration isn't content with merely taking increasingly audacious executive actions in pursuit of gun control. In the waning days of the Obama presidency, administration officials are working to ensure that future presidents will be in a position to adopt their anti-gun policies.

Jarrett's comments underscore just how vital the 2016 election will be for gun owners. Even with the election over a year away, it is never too early for gun owners to register to vote and learn how they can help secure a pro-gun victory at the ballot box. For more information on registering to vote, and how you can make a difference at the polls, please contact NRA-ILA's Grassroots Division by visiting https://www.nraila.org/grassroots/ , or by phone at 800-392-VOTE (8683).