President Obama called Wednesday for Congress to approve new bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips in response to a string of deadly mass shootings.
"If there is even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if even one life can be saved, we have an obligation to try," Obama said.
At a White House event where Obama was flanked by children who had written letters of sympathy to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, the president unveiled an expansive plan that includes legislation and 23 “executive actions” the White House said could be put into place immediately.
Obama asked Congress to reinstate and strengthen the assault-weapons ban and to impose a 10-round limit on ammunition magazines. He also called on Congress to require criminal background checks for all gun sales.
"Weapons designed for the theater of war have no place in a movie theater," Obama said. “A majority of Americans agree with us on this."
The president also asked Congress to approve a law against so-called “straw purchasing” of guns, toughen gun trafficking laws, and authorize new funding for gun violence research, mental health efforts, and a program that would place mental-health counselors and police officers in schools.
In total, the White House estimates that the president's requests would total "in the neighborhood" of $500 million in the coming fiscal year.
The extensive proposals do not include any calls for restrictions on video games or violent films, which some have argued are a contributing factor, although the White House did designate some federal dollars for the study of violence in media.
For more on Obama's remarks, click here.
