David Sherfinski
Articles by David Sherfinski
Biden takes ‘gun safety’ pitch to Richmond
Vice President Joseph R. Biden, who has been President Obama's point man on gun control over the past month, headed about 100 miles south on Friday with cabinet officials and lawmakers to discuss the administration's efforts on the issue. Published January 25, 2013
States’ crime rates show scant linkage to gun laws
President Obama has called for stricter federal gun laws to combat recent shooting rampages, but a review of recent state laws by The Washington Times shows no discernible correlation between stricter rules and lower gun-crime rates in the states. Published January 24, 2013
Feinstein: Reinstate assault weapons ban
Sen. Dianne Feinstein rolled out sweeping legislation that would ban more than 150 types of military-style semiautomatic rifles on Thursday, kicking off the congressional debate on a new assault-weapons ban that both sides say faces a steep uphill climb on Capitol Hill. Published January 24, 2013
Inauguration too special to pass up
President Obama's historic inauguration ceremony Monday saw smaller crowds, a more subdued tone, and fewer A-list celebrities than in 2009 — a distinctly different feel from the packed subways, soaring rhetoric and nearly dozen inaugural balls four years ago. Published January 21, 2013
Gun-control advocates say Obama is too late
The big-ticket items in President Obama's push for action on gun control will require the approval of Congress, but many of the 23 executive moves he announced Wednesday could have been taken at any time in his first term — a point that nettles those who have been advocating for stricter measures. Published January 17, 2013
Obama: U.S. will be ‘judged’ on guns
In one of the most far-reaching gun control proposals in decades, President Obama on Wednesday unveiled plans to ban military-style so-called assault weapons, limit ammunition clips to a maximum of 10 bullets, require universal background checks for all gun purchasers and announced 23 executive actions designed to address gun crime, mental health and school safety. Published January 16, 2013
Obama recruits children to push gun bans
Acting just a month after the Connecticut school shootings, President Obama will unveil a sweeping package of gun controls Wednesday and will challenge Congress to ban high-capacity magazines and military-style semi-automatic rifles involved in recent shooting rampages. Published January 15, 2013
Obama takes aim at 19 new gun measures
President Obama is considering 19 separate steps on gun control he can take without congressional action, as more ambitious measures such as a ban on military-style "assault weapons" face a tough sled through Congress amidst opposition from many lawmakers and gun-rights groups. Published January 15, 2013
Obama contends gun control opponents playing on fear
President Obama said Monday that opponents of gun control legislation are fanning unfounded fears that the government is plotting a gun grab, as the White House prepared to lay out a wish list it wants to see Congress adopt in the wake of last month's school shooting. Published January 14, 2013
Films, video games get short shrift in gun-violence review
President Obama promised an all-of-the-above examination of gun violence in the wake of the school shootings in Connecticut last month, but the video game and movie industries say they're not part of the problem. Published January 13, 2013
Biden broaches gun-trafficking statute, more mental health aid
Vice President Joseph R. Biden hinted Friday that a federal weapons trafficking statute and more readily available mental health assistance could be included in a set of recommendations to address gun violence in the country that he plans to deliver to President Obama by a self-imposed Tuesday deadline. Published January 11, 2013
No assault weapon ban coming, NRA confidently predicts
One day after gun ownership groups met with Vice President Joseph R. Biden as part of his ongoing talks on gun violence prevention, the president of the National Rifle Association predicted that Congress will not pass a ban on military-style, so-called "assault weapons" in the wake of the school shootings last month in Newtown, Conn. Published January 11, 2013
‘Disappointed’ NRA sees White House ‘agenda to attack’ gun rights
The National Rifle Association said it was "disappointed" with the focus of a Thursday meeting with Vice President Joseph R. Biden and other groups over new gun measures, arguing that the White House gathering had less to do with keeping the country's children safe and more to do "with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment." Published January 10, 2013
Biden: Gun recommendations to Obama by Tuesday
Vice President Joseph R. Biden, who is meeting with various stakeholders regarding gun violence Thursday, said he will unveil his recommendations to address the issue to President Obama by Tuesday. Published January 10, 2013
Showdown: NRA to meet with Biden over gun issue
The National Rifle Association on Thursday will send a representative to meet with Vice President Joseph R. Biden, who is heading a task force on gun violence, a spokesman for the group said earlier this week. Published January 10, 2013
Biden hints at ‘executive action’ on gun control
Vice President Joseph R. Biden on Wednesday floated the possibility that President Obama will take unilateral action to impose gun control in the wake of the last month's Connecticut school shooting. Published January 9, 2013
Tide shifting on pro-gun beliefs
Tucson. Aurora. Virginia Tech. The names have become synonymous with shooting tragedies, and each sparked new debate over gun laws, though little action resulting. Published January 8, 2013
Va. Attorney General Cuccinelli had Democratic allies in a win against EPA
A recent ruling against the Environmental Protection Agency has given Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II his first clear-cut victory in the conservative's much-publicized skirmishes with the federal government. Published January 6, 2013
Federal judge rules against EPA stormwater regulation
A federal judge has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its bounds in trying to impose restrictions on stormwater in a Northern Virginia watershed, delivering a victory to Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the state's Department of Transportation and Fairfax County. Published January 4, 2013
Boehner has mixed House rules record
House Speaker John A. Boehner's lofty pledges to break with precedent and run Congress in a more inclusive, transparent manner ended up a mixed bag over the past two years, as he fulfilled many of his vows, but had others fall to political pressure or circumstances. Published January 3, 2013