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U.S. President Barack Obama holds a press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, Jan. 14, 2013. (Xinhua/Zhang Jun)
U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday said that Vice President Joe Biden has provided him with a list of proposals on how to prevent gun violence, and that he plans to present the details to the American people later this week.
Obama made the announcement at a White House press conference, probably his last in the first term. He said he is to discuss with Biden in greater detail about the proposals later in the day.
The president didn't specify steps he would take, but said he could take administrative action that bypasses Congress, as lawmakers might be reluctant to pass tougher legislation.
"I'm confident there are some steps we can take that don't require legislation and that are within my authority as president, " said Obama, adding that his "starting point is not to worry about politics" on the gun control issue.
The president noted the opposition the proposals might face from gun rights proponents, but said it would be hard for them to argue that their constitutional rights have been infringed upon. He also assured "responsible gun owners" that they "don't have anything to worry about."
Obama tapped Biden to head his gun-control task force after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting last month, and Biden has met with stakeholders in a number of areas to develop a set of proposals to curb gun violence.
Biden has met with gun rights proponents, gun control supporters, law enforcement representatives, entertainment industry stakeholders and retailers to hear their opinions on the issue.
According to earlier media reports, the mix of broad proposals may include renewing an expired assault weapons ban, tightening limits on the magazine capacity for semi-automatic weapons, and toughening up background checks.
