[h=3]By JARED A. FAVOLE[/h]WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama on Wednesday will roll out his response to last month's elementary-school shooting in Connecticut, the White House said, including actions the administration can take without waiting for Congress.
"He believes we can no longer stand by without taking action," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said. Mr. Carney said Mr. Obama will unveil a "package of concrete proposals to reduce gun violence and prevent future tragedies" but declined to provide details.
Mr. Obama will be joined at the event by children who wrote him concerned about gun violence in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., tragedy, in which 27 people, including 20 children, died.
Mr. Carney said the president wants to work with Congress to get significant changes passed, including banning certain types of rapid-fire weapons and ensuring that seriously mentally ill people can't acquire guns. The president said Monday he was willing to take executive action to reduce violence, including making changes to how guns are tracked.
At a press conference on Monday, Mr. Obama questioned whether gun-control measures could pass Congress and said lawmakers would have to "debate and examine their own conscience" on the issue.
"We're going to have to come up with answers that set politics aside, and that's what I expect Congress to do," the president said. "If there is a step we can take that will save even one child from what happened in Newtown, we should take that step."
Mr. Obama called for swift action on gun and mental-health laws after the mass shooting in Newtown. He asked Vice President Joe Biden to lead the administration's effort to reduce gun violence.
Mr. Biden last week said there was a consensus on five steps the government could take, including banning high-capacity magazines, requiring universal background checks, strengthening the background-check system, increasing research on gun-related injuries and deaths, and considering what responsibilities gun owners have to keep their firearms out of the wrong hands.
Steps such as banning high-capacity magazines or guns defined as assault weapons would face an uphill battle in Congress, since powerful gun-rights groups such as the National Rifle Association oppose a ban. The NRA has instead called for placing armed guards in schools and enforcing existing laws to ensure the mentally unstable don't get weapons.
Mr. Obama isn't alone in pushing for changes. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and others have unveiled plans to reduce gun violence by limiting the types of firearms sold and strengthening background checks on those who purchase weapons.
"He believes we can no longer stand by without taking action," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said. Mr. Carney said Mr. Obama will unveil a "package of concrete proposals to reduce gun violence and prevent future tragedies" but declined to provide details.
Mr. Obama will be joined at the event by children who wrote him concerned about gun violence in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., tragedy, in which 27 people, including 20 children, died.
Mr. Carney said the president wants to work with Congress to get significant changes passed, including banning certain types of rapid-fire weapons and ensuring that seriously mentally ill people can't acquire guns. The president said Monday he was willing to take executive action to reduce violence, including making changes to how guns are tracked.
At a press conference on Monday, Mr. Obama questioned whether gun-control measures could pass Congress and said lawmakers would have to "debate and examine their own conscience" on the issue.
"We're going to have to come up with answers that set politics aside, and that's what I expect Congress to do," the president said. "If there is a step we can take that will save even one child from what happened in Newtown, we should take that step."
Mr. Obama called for swift action on gun and mental-health laws after the mass shooting in Newtown. He asked Vice President Joe Biden to lead the administration's effort to reduce gun violence.
Mr. Biden last week said there was a consensus on five steps the government could take, including banning high-capacity magazines, requiring universal background checks, strengthening the background-check system, increasing research on gun-related injuries and deaths, and considering what responsibilities gun owners have to keep their firearms out of the wrong hands.
Steps such as banning high-capacity magazines or guns defined as assault weapons would face an uphill battle in Congress, since powerful gun-rights groups such as the National Rifle Association oppose a ban. The NRA has instead called for placing armed guards in schools and enforcing existing laws to ensure the mentally unstable don't get weapons.
Mr. Obama isn't alone in pushing for changes. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and others have unveiled plans to reduce gun violence by limiting the types of firearms sold and strengthening background checks on those who purchase weapons.