Poll: Americans back Obama gun proposals

PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 19 (UPI) -- A majority of Americans approve of President Barack Obama's proposals for laws further restricting availability of guns and ammunition, a Gallup poll has found.

Fifty-three percent said they would want their congressional representatives to vote in favor of the president's proposals, while 41 percent said they would want their representatives to vote against them, The Hill reported Saturday.

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday unveiled 23 executive actions the president has signed on gun safety and the president called for universal background checks on gun buyers.

The president asked Congress to restore the federal ban on military-style assault weapons and limit the size of ammunition magazines.

Gallup found 82 percent of Democrats favored the proposals while 15 percent opposed them. Seventy-two percent of Republicans polled opposed the regulations, while 22 percent approved.

"The highly partisan reaction to the proposal among rank-and-file Americans underscores what is likely to be a highly partisan political negotiation in the Senate and in the House in the weeks and months ahead," Gallup said in a statement announcing the results.

The poll, released late Friday, surveyed 1,021 adults. It was conducted Thursday, the day after Obama's announcement. It has a 4 percentage point margin of error.