Texas Rep. Stockman threatens to impeach Obama over gun control

Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, participates in a mock swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Washington. / AP Photo/ Evan Vucci

In President Obama's drive to curb gun violence in the wake of the Newtown tragedy, he and VP Joe Biden have mentioned on several occasions the possibility of executive action or an executive order on some aspects of gun control.

The very threat of such an act has stirred many conservatives to respond passionately in opposition to such a possibility, none more so than Texas Congressman Steve Stockman.

In a statement released Monday, Stockman said: "The White House's recent announcement they will use executive orders and executive actions to infringe on our constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms is an unconstitutional and unconscionable attack on the very founding principles of this republic."

So far, Mr. Obama's statements on the subject of executive action on gun control have been given with the caveat that he will only consider it if Congress doesn't act. CBS News correspondent Major Garrett reports the only area the president mentioned dealt with improved tracing at the federal level of guns sold to or stolen by criminals.

Still, that didn't stop Stockman from making threats if Obama took "actions (that) are an existential threat to this nation."

In his statement, Stockman said he "will seek to thwart this action by any means necessary, including but not limited to eliminating funding for implementation, defunding the White House, and even filing articles of impeachment."

The president appears to have been prepared for such an impassioned response to his push for strong gun control regulations. At a Monday press briefing, the president acknowledged the fervor of gun rights advocates.

"Part of the challenge that ... we confront is that even the slightest hint of some sensible, responsible legislation in this area, fans this notion that somehow, here it comes, and everybody's guns are going to be taken away," the president said.

Stockman, in his statement, later echoed that very notion.

"Under no circumstances whatsoever may the government take any action that disarms any peaceable person - much less without due process through an executive declaration without a vote of Congress or a ruling of a court," Stockman stated. "The President's actions are not just an attack on the Constitution and a violation of his sworn oath of office - they are a direct attack on Americans that place all of us in danger."

[chipmonk13]

verifyabletruth should realize that increasing population in all areas over the past 100 years would make the same storms more deadly. We are stuck with guys like him unless we bring back Civics in grade school, Home Economics in highschool and ban law, journalism, political science and basket weaving in college.

[wldy1005]

if only we could impeach him. what exactly is he doing besides borrowing trillions of dollars for future generations to pay? GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE! PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE!...period we're chipping away at our bill of rights little by little :/

[Leovinci98]

Lets git er done!
Its way late as it is.

[fxr60]

Obama and Holder run guns to the Drug Cartels in Mexico and 100's were killed by their action and STILL NOTHING has been done for Brian Terry's family! The whistleblowers that told the truth have been let go, threaten and warned NOT to talk! If Petereaus would talk I think we would see a cover up in Benghazi too! Obama knew that was NOT a you tube video that caused the death of the four men, he knows what caused it and the rumor is that there was gun running to the Lybia rebels. May be proved one day when someone has the guts to talk!!!

[nygurl1]

You are one of the nuts, that insist if you haven't heard anything you approve of, nothing has been said or done!
Keep lying.
Most of the people in this country are on to you yoyos and tune you out!

[verifabletruthmatters]

The GOP only have two things going on: 1) "DEATH SPIRAL" policies where they have already murdered TENS of MILLIONS w sea level rise, severe weather events & food crop failures due to those events since 2010, & 2) "murder for profit" alliances--BIG OIL, BIG GUNS, BIG TOBACCO, BIG FINANCE, BIG AG, BIG HEALTHCARE, etc. All of these corrupt industries own 95% of the GOP thanks to a Campaign of DECEIT they started in the 1980s which is backed by a corrupt Infrastructure, pursuing the motto: "Fix the data to push the HIDDEN AGENDAS--lie, deceive, fabricate."

On 12-20-12 Terry Gross talked w Mr. Diaz about his book, "The Last Gun--how changes in the gun industry are responsible for the rise in gun violence". It's the history of the assault rifle, which was made for the US military because they're not marksmen, & wasn't to get into the civilian population. Oh, but the gun industry decided that the slow down in sales didn't give them enough profit. Congressman Scott Tiahart of Kansas puts an Amendment on Appropriation Bills because he knows that they will pass. The Amendment forbids the CDC and others to track gun violence, because the gun lobby knows that if the American People have THE FACTS the gun industry loses. Scott Tiahart is, he's one of those Fundamentalists who dominates the TEA PARTY, who want a Christian Theocracy in the U.S. using the Book of Leviticus for Rule of Law, who tells the U.S. military "you're in God's Army doing God's work; he's supposedly pro-life. NPR, Fresh Air, 12-20-2012 get the transcript or listen to the whole interview. Protect the U.S. by being informed. Guns is the same ignorance, lies, and deceit the Right Wing uses for everything. And things aren't working out with the rest of their "DEATH SPIRAL" policies and "murder for profit" alliances. How bad can that get, to where the planet is total chaos?

Planet is on a trajectory to become uninhabitable. We go over a permanent, irreversible cliff 2015 from the Keystone XL Pipeline & those tar sands spewing 70% more pollution into the atmosphere than conventional oil. They created fraud studies about the jobs the Keystone Pipeline would create, just like they do with everything else. It's only a couple thousand, temp., construction jobs. We could be growing GDP by 158% w millions of Green and Infrastructure jobs, leave THE DEBT in the dust and get a Sustainable future. (REINVENTING FIRE, rmi.org) If you really want to know how corrupt the GOP is go to Moyers & Company & watch one expose' after another since 1-13-12 & particularly 1-4-2013 w Mr. Leiserowitz from Yale about the GOP and BIG OIL's "Disinformation Campaign". There's also a couple of articles on Bill McKibbens, founder of 350.org, & he lays out all the numbers. 15 years until we reach another increase in one degree temp in Celcius. It took 100 years to get the first increase but the 2nd is coming in 15 years. Every other measurable area is also out-of-control. They've destabilized the atmosphere with all the moisture that's being driven off the warmer oceans. It means that storms like Sandy w the $70 BILLION price tag, or Irene in 2010, or Issac in 2011 that flooded around New Orleans again, or Katrina, or Bopha which hit the Philippines in early Dec 2012 will become common place. Bopha killed 2000 people and left 1 million homeless. Same thing w sea level rise. It's 60% accelerated. They were expecting 3 feet rise by 2100 & every indication now is it will be 3 feet by 2025, 60 feet by 2100. Watch the documentaries? "Chasing Ice" by James Balog. 16 cameras record the deterioration of the ICE SHEETS. One of them just receded more in 3 yrs than the previous 100 yrs. All that is becoming sea level rise or no more clean water for India. "PBS, NOVA "Megastorms--how the hurricanes listed above will be commonplace". PBS, NOVA, "Secrets Beneath The Ice"--the melting of Antarctica will account for much of that 60 ft sea level rise. PBS, Frontline's "Climate of Doubt--GOP, BIG OIL's "Disinformation Campaign". A group committed to a Campaign of DECEIT that resultantly creates nothing but "DEATH SPIRAL" policies--1) Global Warming, 2) Keystone XL pipeline, 3) "cut and gut" budget that was forced on Roosevelt causing a double-dip driving unemployment past 15% that they want to do again, 4) repeal FINANCE REFORM so derivatives stuffed w junk can damage the economy for the 4th time just like 1987 (S&L), 1998 (LTCM), 2008 (Subprime)& all their "Murder for profit" listed above; well a group that sick, that dysfunctional, that psychotic doesn't belong in positions of power at any level of government. Clean out the corruption in the U.S Congress 2014, 2016. The DAMAGE REPORT is already in on their 3 decades of lies about Global Warming--they've killed TENS of MILLIONS & there's BILLIONS in damages to be TRILLIONS by 2020. We could be growing GDP by 158% w millions of jobs, leave THE DEBT in the dust,& get a Sustainable Future but for the GOP and the corrupt corporations who own them.

[bronson3552]

President Obama is doing the best he can. Also it is a constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms.

[sciline]

In the vernacular of our Native American brothers, I would designate our congress and senate as: Haphazard Assemblages of Men and Women with "MANY WIRES DOWN"! As these folks get enough payoffs from their "Special Interest" proprietors, these "Do Nothings", except, of course, what they do for themselves, should be put on Minimum Wage!
From some of their Statements, Comments, and Voting Records, I would also judge many of these ersatz Lawmakers(?) to be 100% nuts!

[jimbo7776]

Finally, a reason to vote Republican again.

Molon Labe!

[Segesser1]

God Bless Steve Stockman for having some common sense Thank you.

[bc-1948]

Plain stupid.

[Segesser1]

Agreed