traffic accidents, but we take steps to try to reduce traffic accidents. as ronald reagan once said, if mandatory background checks could save more lives, it would be well worth making it the law of the land. the bill before congress three years ago met that test. unfortunately, too many senators failed theirs. [ applause ] we know that background checks make a difference. after connecticut passed a law to require safety courses, gun deaths decreased by 40%. 40%. [ applause ] meanwhile since missouri repealed a law requiring comprehensive background checks

and purchased permits, gun deaths have increased to a 50% higher than the national aver e average. one study found unsurprisingly that criminals in missouri now have easier access to guns. and the evidence tells us that in states that require background checks law-abiding americans don't find it any harder to purchase guns whatsoever. their guns have not been confiscated, rights have not been infringed. and that's just the information we have access to with more research, we could further improve gun safety just as with more research we have reduced traffic fatalities over the last 30 years. we do research when cars, food, medicine, even toys harm people so we make them safer. research, science, those are good things, they work.

[ applause ] but think about this. when it comes to an inherently deadly weapon, nobody argues that guns are potentially deadly, weapons that kill tens of thousands of americans every year congress actually voted to make it harder for public health experts to conduct research into gun violence. made it harder to collect data and facts and develop strategies to reduce gun violence. even after san bernardino, they refused to make it harder for terror suspects who can't get on a plane to buy semiautomatic weapons. that's not right.

that can't be right. so the gun lobby may be holding congress hostage, but they can't hold america hostage. we do not have to accept this carnage as the price of freedom. [ applause ] [ applause ] i want to be clear. congress still needs to act. but folks in this room will not rest until congress does.

[ applause ] because once congress gets on board with common sense gun safety measures, we can reduce gun violence a whole lot more. but we also can't wait. until we have a 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 to save more lives. actions that protect our rights and our kids. after sandy hook, joe and i worked together with our teams and we put forward a whole series of executive actions to try to tighten up the existing rules and systems that we had in

place. but today we want to take it a step further. so let me outline what we're going to be doing. number one, anybody in the business of selling firearms must get a license and conduct background checks or be subject to criminal prosecutions. [ applause ] >> it doesn't matter whether you're doing it over the internet or at a gun show, it's not where you do it, but what you do. we're also expanding background checks to cover violent criminals who try to buy some of the most dangerous firearms by hiding behind trusts and corporations and various cut outs. we're also taking steps to make the background check system more

efficient. under the guidance of the fbi, our deputy director tom branden that atf, we're going to hire more folks to process applications faster and bring an outdated system into the 21st century. these steps will lead to a smoother process for law-abiding gun owners, a smoother process for responsible gun dealers, a stronger process for protecting the people from the public from dangerous people. so that's number one. number two, we're going to do everything we can to ensure the smart and effective enforcement of gun safety laws already on the books, which means we're going to add 200 more atf agents and investigators, we're going to require firearms dealers to

report more lost or stolen guns on a timely basis. we're working with advocates to protect victims of domestic abuse from gun violence. too much people are not getting the protection they need. number three, we're going to do more to help those suffering from mental illness get the help that they need. high u profile mass shootings tend to shine a light on those few mentally unstable people, but the truth is that nearly two and three gun deaths are from suicides. so a lot of our work is to prevent people from hurting themselves. that's why we made sure that the affordable care act, also known as obamacare, under that law

made sure that treatment for mental health was covered the same as treatment for any other illness. that's why we're going to invest $500 million to expand access to treatment across the country. [ applause ] it's also why we're going to ensure that mental health records are submitted to the background check system and remove barriers that prevent states from reporting relevant information. if we can continue to destigmatize mental health issues and get folks proper care, we can spare more families the pain of losing a loved one to suicide. and for those in congress who so often rush to blame mental illness for mass shootings as a way of avoiding action on guns, here's your chance to support

these efforts. put your money where your mouth is. number four, we're going to boost gun safety technology. today many gun injuries are the result of legal guns that were stolen or misused or discharged accidentally. . in 2013 alone more than 500 people lost their lives to gun accidents and that includes 30 children younge than 5 years old. on the greatest advanced nation on earth, there's no reason for this. we need to develop new technologies that make guns safer. if we can get set it up so you can't unlock your phone unless you have the right fingerprint, why can't we do the same thing for our guns?

if there's an app that can help us find a missing tablet, which happens to me often the older get, if we can do it for your ipad, there's no reason we can't do it with a stolen gun. if a child can't open a bottle of aspirin, we should make sure they can't pull a trigger on a gun. [ applause ] so we're going to advance research, work with the private sector to update firearms technology. some gun retailers are already stepping up by refusing to finalize a purchase without a complete background check or high capacity magazines, and i

hope that more retailers and more manufacturers join them. because they should carry as much as anybody about a product that kills almost as many americans as car accidents. i make this point because none o of us can do this alone. i think mark made that point earlier. all of us should be able to work together to find a balance that declares the rest of our rights are also important. second amendment rights are important, but there are other rights that we care about as well. we have to be able to balance them. because our right to worship freely and safe ly, that right was denied to christians in south carolina. and that was denied jews in

kansas city. and that was denied muslims in chapel hill and seats in oak creek. they had rights too. [ applause ] our right to peaceful assembly, that right was robbed from movie goers in aurora and lafayette. our right to life and liberty. from college kids in san bernardino and from high schoolers at columbine. and from first graders in newton.

first graders. and from every family who never imagined that their loved one would be taken from our lives by a bullet from a gun. every time i think about those kids it gets me mad. and by the way, it happens on the streets of chicago every day. so all of us need to demand that congress be brave enough to stand up to the gun lobbies lives governors and legislators and businesses do their part to

make our community safer. we need the wide majority of responsible gun owners who grieve. with us every time this happens and feel like your views are not being properly represented to join with us to demand something better. [ applause ] and we need voters who want safer gun laws and who are disappointed in leaders who stand in their way to remember come election time. i mean, some of this is just simple math. yes, the gun lobby is loud and it is organized in defense of making it effortless for guns to

be available for anybody, any time. you know what, the rest of us, we all have to be just as passionate. we have to be just as organized in defense of our kids. this is not that complicated. the reason congress blocks laws is because they want to win elections. and if you make it hard for them to win an election, if they block those laws, they will change course, i promise you. [ applause ] and yes, it will be hard. and it won't happen overnight.

it won't happen during this congress. it won't happen during my presidency. but a lot of things don't happen a lot of things don't happen over night. a woman's right to vote didn't happen over night. liberation of african americans didn't happen over night. lgbt rights has decades worth of work. so just because it's lard, that's no excuse not to try. if there's any doubt as to why you should feel that fierce urgency of now, think about what happened three weeks ago. for the sophomore at fulton high

school in knox ville, tennessee. he played football, beloved by his classmates and his teachers. his own mayor called him one of the city's success stories. the week before christmas, he headed to a friend's house to play video games. he wasn't at the wrong place at the wrong time. he hadn't made a bad decision. he was exactly where any other kid would be. your kid. my kids.gû$ and then gun men started firing t and in high school, he hadn't gotten started in life. he fell on top of three girls to shield them from the bullets. and he was shot in the head and the girls were spared. he gave his life to save theirs÷

an act of heroism, a lot bigger than anything we should ever expect from a 15 year greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. we are not asked to do what dobson did. we're not asked to have shoulders that big a heart that strong, reactions that[vi'm note that same level of courage or sacrifice or love. but if we love our kids and care about their prospects and if we love this country and care about its future, we can find the courage to vote, we can find the courage to get mobilized and

organized. we can find the courage to cut through all the noise and do what a sensible country would do. that's what we're doing today and tomorrow we should do more and we should do more the day after that. and if we do, we'll leave behind a nation that's stronger thanhk the one we inherited and worthy of the sacrifice of a young man like him. thank you very much, everybody. god bless you. [applause] thank you. god bless you all. >> a remarkable moment at the whitehouse. the president in tears quoting the book of john, greater love has no man than this. has the president reveals the measures he intends to take by executive action going around the world of congress to impose

stricter limits on gun sales. first and foremost, the president intends by executive order to no longer allow people to trade guns as individuals when they are in fact selling guns as dealers and therefore requiring them to have a federal firearms license, whether that's on-line or at gun shows, and requiring those people to conduct background checks on their customers. currently many people claim to be selling handguns and assault rifles as individuals on-line and at gun shows and are therefore exempt from most federal firearm regulations. the president intends to change that by executive order. but, the congress of course, the republican majority in congress isthis and we are fortunate enoh

today to have our chief legal correspondent with us, jan crawford. jan, you can almost hear the footsteps of people rushing to the courthouse to file suit. >> i think the president can almost hear, you heard him, him trying to get ahead of those loweltalking about the second amendment and why these proposals and executive action would not violate the right to bear arms. he embraced the first amendment which guarantees the right to free speech and religion. he said the old adage that you can't yell fire in a crowded theatre. so too should we have these reasonable he said many times commen sense restrictions in the second amendment especially as he says there's how much a compelling and urge gent need. if not, i believe throughs potentially a much more significant problem and that is whether or not he actually has the authority under the

constitution to take a lot of these steps or rather this is something that really should fall under the umbrella of the authority of congress. kind of the separation of powers argument. and even if he is right that a multiple lawsuits over many of these proposals could keep them tied up in court through the end of his administration which means many of this stuff, much of this stuff may never even take effect. >> and of course as we recall, the president took a civil her action with immigration reform going around the rule of congress and now all of that is tied up in federal court. jan crawford our cheap legal correspondent reporting for us from the whitehouse today, jan thank you very much. was we mentioned, there was a remarkable moment earlier when the president was moved to tears at the memory of the massacre a sandy hook elementary school. let's go back and look at that moment one more time.

>> every time i think about those kids, it gets me mad.xç and by the way, it happens on the streets of chicago every day. >> the president remembering the 20 first graders who were murdered at sandy hook elementary school just three years ago. the person who introduced the president today was mark barden, the chairman of sandy hook, of the sandy hook parents organization seen here holding a picture of his son, seven year old daniel barden who was murdered on that fateful day before christmas just four years ago. there will be a great deal more about all of this on your local

from the cbs broadcast center in philadelphia this is cbs3 "eyewitness news". good afternoon i'm erika von tiehl. the new year brings new leadership to the city of philadelphia. on monday we brought you the swearing in of mayor jim kenney and today there's a new top cop in town. "eyewitness news" reporter walt hunter joins us now. he's live at central high school in olney where richard ross was sworn in as the city's police commissioner. walt, good afternoon. >> reporter: good afternoon. the swearing in of new commissioner ross just a short time ago here. this is how it looked. the commissioner being sworn in. the mayor at his side his family in the seats along with students who attend the school that was also attended by commissioner

ross. he addressed many of the major issues he and the city will face in police community matters coming up and you'll hear much more about that on cbs3 i late this afternoon when we bring you all the details of this ceremony and what commissioner ross' leadership could mean for the future of the police department and the city. live in olney, wall hunt cbs3 "eyewitness news". >> all right, walt, thank you. right now check in with katie get the latest on our forecast. cold day today katie it. >> sure is erika. absolutely when we take a look at feels like values here across the delaware valley, it's still breezy enough that it's feeling generally about 10 degrees colder than the thermometer actually reads more like the teens in most locations. but the one that stands out like a sore thumb all morning and now into the afternoon continues to be mount pocono. coldest spot of the pack here. they are hard at work making snow up in those ski resorts right now. storm scan3 quiet as can be thankfully courtesy of high pressure. but we do new storm brewing right now way out on the west coast. this is eventually emerging from the rockies it turns into much

larger storm system. will be dealing with it later in the week. specifically as we head toward the weekend. so for now, it's cold but it's at least sunny for now and we'll see uphill climb on the thermometer readings with every passing day. friday late in the day especially when we start to see this next shot for wet weather at this point it looks like it will be just too warm for anything but plain old rain and a second system actually comes along as we head into sunday as well but again strictly a rain maker. so no snow this time around erika. but for now very cold. back to you. >> just wait, katie, thanks so much. that's "eyewitness news" at noon. i'm erika von tiehl. thanks for watching. "eyewitness news" continues at 5:00 and of course we're always at cbsphilly.com. the young and the restless is coming up next. have a great day. ♪

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