Obama presses for new gun policies to curb misuse

Washington: President Barack Obama on Wednesday asked a team led by Vice President Joe Biden to offer “concrete proposals” to curb gun violence no later than January, in the aftermath of the massacre at a Connecticut school. “This time, the words need to lead to action,” said Obama, who set a January deadline for the recommendations. [caption id=“attachment_563572” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Reuters[/caption] The president said he will push legislation “without delay.” He urged Congress to hold votes on the bill next year. “The fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing,” Obama said. “The fact that we can’t prevent every act of violence doesn’t mean we can’t steadily reduce the violence.” The gunman in Friday’s shooting wielded a semi-automatic rifle to kill 20 children and six adults at the school, after killing his mother at home. He then killed himself. Obama, who pushed little on gun control during his first term, also pressed Congress to reinstate an assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004. He called for stricter background checks for people who seek to purchase weapons and limited high-capacity clips. Biden, a longtime gun control advocate, will lead a team that will include members of Obama’s administration and outside groups. AP