As President Barack Obama prepared to announce executive actions on gun control in early January 2016, legal analysts examined the potential challenges each proposed measure might face. The president, frustrated by Congress's inaction on gun legislation following multiple mass shootings, signaled his intent to use executive authority to tighten background check requirements and close loopholes in existing gun laws. Legal experts noted that any executive action on firearms would likely face immediate court challenges from gun rights organizations and Republican state attorneys general. The options under consideration included expanding the definition of who qualifies as a gun dealer required to conduct background checks, improving the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and increasing funding for mental health treatment. Gun rights advocates argued that executive action on firearms regulation exceeded presidential authority, while gun control supporters maintained that the measures were within the president's legal power and long overdue.