News / Politics

Obama blasts Congress inaction on guns, takes executive action

Tuesday, 05 January 2016 5:56 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 05 January 2016 6:36 PM ]

US President Barack Obama gets emotional as he delivers a statement on executive actions to reduce gun violence at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 5, 2016. (AFP photo)

US President Barack Obama has made a passionate plea about the urgency to fight gun violence in the country, blasting Congress for inaction in the face of too many tragic deaths by firearms.

"Congress still needs to act," Obama said Tuesday from the White House, surrounded by victims of gun violence and their families.

Obama said that Congress, which blocked a tougher gun bill in 2013, still needs to act to reform the US gun laws, but he is announcing executive actions because America cannot wait.

"The folks in this room will not rest until Congress does. Because once Congress gets on board with common-sense gun safety measures, we can reduce gun violence a whole lot," the president said.

"But we also can't wait," Obama added. "Until we have the Congress that's in line with the majority of Americans, there are actions within my legal authority that we can take to help reduce gun violence and save more lives."

Obama blasted those members of Congress who have been taken “hostage” by the powerful gun lobby, and put their desire to get elected before the safety of American citizens.

“The gun lobby may be holding Congress hostage right now, but they can't hold America hostage,” he said to cheers from the crowd.

Obama, with tears streaming down his face, made reference to the 2012 mass shooting in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, and urged the country to get mobilized to "prevent the next mass shooting."

"Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad," he said, pausing to wipe away tears.

"We know we can't stop every act of violence, every act of evil in the world. But maybe we could try to stop one act of evil, one act of violence," he added.

Obama embraces Mark Barden, father of Daniel, a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim, after he introduced the president prior to his speech on reducing gun violence. (AFP photo)

The White House is introducing a new measure that would expand background checks for gun buyers.

The measure mandates that individuals "in the business of selling firearms" register as licensed gun dealers. It aims to close the so-called “gun show loophole,” which allows small dealers to sell firearms at gun shows without keeping sales records.

Even before Obama made his speech, Republican presidential candidates vowed to undo his executive actions if they are elected to the White House.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearms are the cause of death for more than 33,000 people in the United States every year, a number that includes accidental discharge, murder and suicides.

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