President Obama on Wednesday called on the next Congress to vote on measures banning the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and requiring background checks before any firearm sales, as he launched an interagency task force to come up with ways to reduce gun violence.
The working group, led by Vice President Biden, marked the first formal step of Obama’s presidency to find a comprehensive cure for what he called a gun violence epidemic plaguing the United States. He said that he expected the group, which will include several key Cabinet secretaries, to bring him a set of recommendations by the end of January, and that he intends to discuss the issue in his State of the Union address soon after.
With the anger and sadness over Friday’s massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school driving the issue at a busy moment in Washington, Obama vowed to act on concrete proposals “without delay” as several Hill Democrats urged Congress to do the same.
“This time, the words need to lead to action,” Obama said. He added: “We know this is a complex issue that stirs deeply held passions and political divides. . . . But the fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing.”
The task force comes after the slaughter at Sandy Hook Elementary School, during which a gunman armed with semiautomatic weapons killed 20 children and six educators. Adam Lanza, 20, had killed his mother before his attack at the school.
White House officials say the eventual package of proposals is likely to include new restrictions on guns, particularly assault weapons, and high-capacity magazines. But they say it will also probably involve measures that touch on mental health initiatives and, as Obama noted Wednesday, a close look “at a culture that, all too often, glorifies guns and violence.”
Obama said Wednesday that he supports the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms, and highlighted the nation’s strong tradition of gun ownership. Yet, he said, the country’s leaders need to find ways to keep “weapons of war” out of the hands of the irresponsible few.
“There is a big chunk of space between what the Second Amendment means and having no rules at all, and that space is what Joe’s going to be working on to try to identify where we’ll find some common ground,” Obama said.
He added, “If we’re going to change things, it’s going to take a wave of Americans — mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, pastors, law enforcement, mental health professionals and, yes, gun owners — standing up and saying enough on behalf of our kids.”
Even as the nation has endured four mass civilian shootings during his first four years in office, Obama has not acted to curb gun violence until now. When a reporter asked him, “Where have you been?” Obama grew defensive, noting that he has dealt with a financial collapse, the struggling auto industry, health care and other major issues.
“I don’t think I’ve been on vacation,” Obama said. “I think all of us have to do some reflection on how we prioritize what we do here in Washington.”
Obama calls on Congress to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines
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Obama calls on Congress to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines
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