a powerful weapon. we maybe can't save everybody, but we could save some. just as we don't prevent all 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%.

[ applause ] meanwhile since missouri repealed a law requiring comprehensive background checks and purchased permits, gun deaths have increased to a 50% average.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 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 fatality ies over the last 30 years. we do research when cars, food,

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

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 ]

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

try to tighten up the existing 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

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

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 suicides. so a lot of our work is to

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

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 . 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 safer. if we can get set it up so you can't unlock your phone unless

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 i 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 gun. [ applause ] so we're going to advance research, work with the private technology.

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. them.

freely and safe ly 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.

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

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.

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 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.

and yes, it will be hard. and it won't happen overnight. congress. it won't happen during my presidency. but a lot of things don't happen over night. a woman's right to vote didn't happen over night. 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

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.gu $ and then gun men started firing t and in high school, he hadn't gotten started in life.

shield them from the bullets. and he was shot in the head and the girls were spared. he gave his life to save theirs.m| an act of heroism, a lot bigger than anything we should ever expect from a 15 year old. greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his 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 not asking people to have that same level of courage or sacrifice or love. but if we love our kids and care about their prospects and if we

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 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.

that by executive order. but, the congress of course, the republican majority in congress isthis and we are fortunate enough 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 lowell talking 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

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. 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 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 atzx sandy hook elementary school.

moment one more time. >> every time i think about those kids, it gets me mad.x{ 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.

about all of this on your local news on this cbs station and on our 24 hour digital news network, cbsn. it's available on all devices at cbsnews.com. we will of course have a complete wrap up of all of this right here toarnlt on '%hevening news. i'm scott we have been following breaking news this noon just moments ago president obama unveiling the actions he'll be taking to combat gun violence. today, the president sidestepped congress saying he is issuing executive orders on gun control. this has been something he's working to do since the shootings we'll have a full news at 5:00. we have more breaking news to tell you about right now this noon, one u.s. service member is dead, two others

afghanistan, this is happening right now, sources tell cbs news, a special operations team came under attack a helicopter went into pick that team up when a mortar went off damaging one of throters. also a big story of the downright cold out there, let's get a look at the boston skyline, it is clear, it is just chilly out there too, with temperatures still below freezing. frigid forecast with danielle in just a moment. first here is a look of communities that have been seeing accumulating snow. this is a look in born, where a few inches have been falling. police are warning drivers to be careful of those slick roads out there. let's turnover to danielle tracking this frigid cold, the rebound, danielle. >> reporter: it is going to be a quick turn, which is great news if you're not a big fan of

single digits, feels like 11 in boston, all relative right? an improvement over this morning. temperature right now is 20 degrees in boston, we've only come up 18 in worcester, same in lawrence after starting in the single digits this morning the doppler radar is quiet now which is great news but we did pick up a few inches of snow we were tracking those ocean affect snow bands and some tops out 3 inches, plymouth, on the vineyard, two and a half, born picking up 2.1. ducksberry, 2 inches as well. through the remainder of the afternoon, flurries done, skies will stay clear. look at our temperature, pretty much coming up and down by a throughout the afternoon and into the evening hours as well. so over night tonight, won't be as cold as it was the wind won't be as strong either. we only drop back to 20 in

back into the teens but it is a quick rebound tomorrow. think actually there will be a cloud in the sky tomorrow, light southwest breeze at 5 to 10 miles per hour. seven day forecast, mid-30s on thursday, lower 40s by the time we get to friday. the clouds are going to increase as well. there has been a lot of talk about the weekend too, temperatures should be in the 40s and that does mean any sort of precipitation that comes in would likely be in the form of any rain showers, but it does look like this is not going to be a major storm this weekend, the only risk is we have a wintery mix across the interior, could be a couple flurries by the time we get to monday, guys, back over to you. obviously a lot of news to talk about and of course we'll have a full recap on obama's gun control executive orders as well as that breaking news out of afghanistan. >> that was a very emotional speech, everything you need right here on the wbz news at

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