The Hill News

President Obama has not done enough to strengthen the nation's gun laws in the wake of several violent incidents that gained national attention, a Democratic senator said Wednesday.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (N.J.) penned a letter to Obama seeking his support for legislation that would reinstate the assault weapons ban and close the so-called "gun show loophole," which allows buyers at gun shows to avoid background checks, and other reforms championed by gun-control groups.

{mosads}"I am writing to express my concern with the administration’s silence on critical gun issues and to seek some leadership to better protect the American people," he wrote. "The issues transcend partisanship and could attract bipartisan support."

Lautenberg's letter is a stern message to the president on an issue that has received little attention during Obama's presidency. 

The letter came on the same day the Obama administration faced pressure on guns from House Republicans who held hearings into a controversial gun-tracking program run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The New Jersey senator cited several recent incidents he said should belie his point, such as the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in January and the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. 

The senator also said he wants to do away with the so-called "terror gap," or the absence of a law that allows the government to deny known or suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms or explosives.

"While the gun lobby is always opposed to legislation to curb gun violence, the White House cannot avoid its obligations to protect our people," Lautenberg wrote.

Full letter comes after the jump: 

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