U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby criticized President Barack Obama's recent executive actions on guns as another example of presidential overreach during a campaign stop at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Jan. 6.
“(Obama) is abusing his power as the president every day,” Shelby said. “On guns, Second Amendment rights, on EPA regulations, you can go down the line, on labor laws. He can’t get these passed by law, and he says, ‘I’m the king,’ in other words, ‘I’m the president of the United States. I’m the czar.’ We’ve got a constitution.”
The stop was the second of the day for the 81-year-old Republican after a breakfast in Montgomery.
Shelby took questions from the audience, which included many notable people from local government and the University.
“I’m unarmed,” Shelby said before taking any questions. “I always remind people I have no bodyguards, and I’d like to hear from you.”
Shelby is facing four challengers in the March 1 primary, the most he’s faced since becoming a senator in 1987.
Shelby is prepared for any challengers with $19 million in his campaign fund as of Sept. 30, 2015, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Shelby used some of his money to run a campaign advertisement during the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
“I’m a senior senator citizen and a senior senator, but I feel good,” Shelby said.
Shelby said he isn’t worried about the challengers.
“I’ve got four young people running against me, and I wish them well – not too well,” Shelby said to laughter. “One of them said the other day he was going to run for two terms and that was it. Well in two terms, they wouldn’t know who he was in the Senate.”
Shelby said his seniority in the Senate puts him in senior positions in key committees, not only to bring jobs to Alabama, but also to try to stop executive actions by Obama.
“We’re going to hold hearings on (the executive action on guns) when we go back [to Washington],” Shelby said after the meeting. “(Obama has) shown a blatant disrespect for the Constitution.”
Shelby said the president’s action only hurt law-abiding citizens.
“I wish we could never have a crime committed in a city at all, and we’d be safe to walk everywhere,” Shelby said. “But it’s not going to be.”
Shelby used Chicago as an example of a city where strict gun laws haven’t stopped high rates of gun violence.
“Does (Obama) want the nation to be like Chicago?” Shelby said. “God, I hope not.”
Christopher Roberts, dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, and Calvin Johnson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, both addressed Shelby to thank him for his support in bringing funding for programs to the colleges.
Shelby said the nation benefits from the money spent on research at the University.
“I believe that’s well-spent money,” Shelby said.
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