White House Ramps up Talks on Gun Control Measures
By: Fox News
Updated: January 8, 2013
The Obama administration is making a big push this week to gather ideas for a comprehensive plan to curb gun violence, amid reports that the Vice President Biden-led task force is homing in on a host of gun control measures.
Biden plans to meet Wednesday with gun safety organizations and gun violence victims' groups, a White House aide told Fox News. The next day, he plans to meet with gun ownership groups as well as advocates for sportsmen.
Biden has also scheduled a meeting with representatives from the entertainment and video game industries.
The administration has vowed, by the end of the month, to produce a comprehensive plan for addressing gun violence in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting massacre in which 20 children and six adults were killed. The administration says mental health and the entertainment industry also may be examined.
But much of the discussion, and proposals from Democratic members of Congress, continue to center around gun control.
The Washington Post reported over the weekend that President Obama was considering measures beyond reinstating a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
According to the paper, the task force is considering measures like universal background checks for gun buyers, a national gun database, strengthening mental-health checks and tougher penalties for people carrying guns near schools or giving them to minors.
Asked Monday about the report, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney reiterated that Obama wants to "close the many loopholes in our background check system" and "supports congressional actions right away."
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