US: 92% support gun background checks
2013-02-07 19:16
Washington - More than 90% of US voters supported background checks for all gun buyers, while much smaller majorities were for stricter gun control laws such as bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, said a poll released on Thursday.
But the National Rifle Association (NRA) edged out President Barack Obama in the poll, with 46% saying the pro-gun lobby better reflects their views on guns, versus 43% for Obama.
By a margin of 92% to 7%, voters supported background checks, the Quinnipiac University telephone poll showed. In households with a gun, 91% were in favour, while 8% were opposed, Quinnipiac said.
In response to the 14 December shooting that killed 20 school children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut, Obama last month announced a series of gun-control measures opposed by the NRA, including proposals for enhanced background checks and a ban on military-style assault weapons.
House Democrats were expected to announce their own firearms legislation on Thursday.
Politics unclear
A majority of those surveyed supported stricter national gun control laws, Quinnipiac said. Fifty-six percent were for a ban on the sale of assault weapons, and the same percentage supported a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines, defined as those holding more than 10 rounds.
Congress would need to approve those initiatives and background checks.
"The politics of gun policy are also unclear," Peter A Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a statement. "Despite the huge news media coverage of the issue since the Newtown shooting, only 37% of voters are more likely to vote for a congressman who votes to ban sales of assault rifles, while 31% are less likely, and 30% say it would not affect their vote."
The poll surveyed 1 772 registered voters from 30 January to 4 February and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points, Quinnipiac said.
