a powerful weapon. we maybe can't save everybody, but we can 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 back ground 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 ] in fact, we know that background checks make a difference after connecticut passed a law requiring background checks and gun safety courses, gun deaths

[ applause ] meanwhile, since missouri repealed a law requiring gun permits and background checks, guns have increased to more than 50% of the national average. 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. their 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 enormously over the last 30 years.

medicine, even toys harm people so that we make them safer. and you know what? things. [ applause ] they do. but think about this. when it comes to an inherently deadly weapon. a -- nobody argues that guns are potentially deadly. but 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.

they've refused to make it harder for terror suspects who can't get on a plane to buy semi-automatic weapons. that's not right. that can't be right. so the gun lobby may be holding congress hostage right now. but they cannot hold america hostage. we do not have to accept this carnage is the price for freedom.

now i want to be clear, congress still needs to act. the folks in this room will not rest until congress does. [ cheers and 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 and save more lives. actions that protect our rights and our kids. after sandy hook, joe and i

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 fire arms 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

the most dangerous fire arms by hiding behind trusts and corporations and various cutouts. we're also taking steps to make the background check system more efficient. under the guidance of jim thome and the fbi, deputy director tom brandon at atf, we're going to hire more folks process applications faster and bring an outdated barack ground check system into the 21st century. [ applause ] and these steps will actually lead to a smoother process for law-abiding gun cone owners. a stronger process for dangerous people. so that's number one. number two, we're going to do

smart and effective enforcement of gun safety laws that are already on the books. which means we're going to add 200 more atf agents, up vest gators. require firearm dealers to report more lost or stolen guns on a more timely basis. we're working with advocates to protect victims of domestic abuse from gun violence. [ applause ] where too often people are not need. number three, we're going to do more to help those suffering from mental illness to get the so -- [ applause ] high-profile mass shootings tend to shine a light on those few mentally unstable people that inflict harm on others. but the fact is, nearly 2 in 3

so a lot of our work is to prevent people from hurting themselves. that's why we made the affordable care act, also known as obama care, finally -- under that law made sure that treatment for mental health was covered the 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 federal mental health records are submitted to the background check system and remove barriers that keep states from reporting information. if we can destigmatize mental health issues and fill gaps in the background check system,

suicide. and for those in congress who rush to blame mental illness for mass shootings as way of avoiding action on guns, here's put your money with here your mouth is. [ applause ] number four. we're going to boost gun safety technology. today many gun injuries and deaths are the result of legal guns that were stolen or misused or discharged accidentally. 2013 alone, more than 500 people lost their lives to gun accidents. that includes 30 children younger than 5 years old. the greatest, most technologically advanced nation on earth there is no reason for this. we need to develop new technologies to make guns safer.

your phone unless row have the right fingerprint, why can't we do the same thing for our guns? [ applause ] if there's an app that can help us find a missing tablet, which happens to me often, the older i get. [ laughter ] then 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 hur that they can't pull a trigger on a gun. all right? [ applause ] so -- so we're going to advance research. we're going to work with the

and some gun retailers are already stepping up by refusing to finalize a purchase without a complete background check or by refraining from selling semi-automatic weapons or high-capacity magazines. i hope that me more re ore retailers and manufacturers join them. they should care as much as anybody about ah something that kills almost as many americans as car accidents. i make this point because none 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 and we have to be able to

because our right to worship freely and safely -- that right was denied to christians in charleston, south carolina. and that was denied jews in kansas city. and that was denied muslims in chapel hill and those 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 inalien able right to life and lishty and the pursuit of happiness, those rights were stripped from kids in blacksburg and santa barbara and from high

kol colunbine. and from first graders in newtown. first graders. and from every family who -- 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. the streets of chicago every day. [ applause ]

congress brave enough to stand up to the gun lobby's lies. all of us need to demand governors, legislators, 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 organized in defense of making it effortless for guns to be available for anybody anytime. well 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. 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'll change

[ applause ] and yes, it will be hard. it won't happen during this congress. it won't happen during my presidency. but a lot of things don't happen a woman's right to vote didn't happen overnight. the liberation of african americans didn't happen overnight. lgbt rights. decades worth of work. so just because it's hard that's no excuse not to try. and if you have any doubt as to

urgency of now, think about what happened three weeks ago. xavion dobson was a sophomore in tennessee. he played football, beloved by his classmates and teachers. his own mayor called him one of their city's success stories. the week before christmas, he headed to a friend's house to play video games. he wasn't in 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. and then gunmen started firing. and xavion who was in high school hadn't even gotten

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-old. greater love hath no man than this. that a man lay down his life for his friends. we are not asked to do what xavion dobson did. we're not asked to have shoulders that big, heart that strong, reactions that quick. i'm not asking people to have that same level of courage or sacrifice or love. but if we love our kids and care

love this country and care about its future, then, 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 than the one we inherited and worthy of the sacrifice of a young man like xavion. thank you very much, everybody. god bless. thank you. god bless america. >> a passionate and emotional president barack obama w wrapping up his remarks in the east room right now. tearing up as he spoke about the

victims of gun violence. especially the first graders at sandy hook elementary school back in 2012. president often called that the worse day of his presidency. demanding action now. saying that the gun lobby may be holding congress hostage. it cannot hold america hostage. he lines up a series of executive actions to expand and improve background checks. enforce the laws on the books. improve gun safety technology. more research into mental health. the president so often allows his passion to show so frustrated by the issue. i want to go mary bruce. morning. opposition. already fierce opposition from the speaker of the house and republicans on the campaign trail. >> absolutely. republicans have already been blasting the president's plan. even before the details were announced. on the campaign trail, republican candidates have said

up on the hill, lawmakers are already opposing it. the speaker of the house has accused the president of a dangerous level of overreach and subverting the legislative branch. the president feels he's well within his legal rights here. beyond that that he's justified in acting because congress has failed to do so. you just saw how frustrated the president is on this issue. how deeply he feels about this. that is incredibly rare to see the president get so emotional about an issue like this. because remember, today is about more than just the president proposals. this is about him setting the the tone for his final year in office. about trying to reignite a bigger conversation to solve this problem. >> thank you, mary. i want to go to pierre thomas. the emotion does show when the president talks about this issue. not only the first graders at sandy hook. he said it happens in the day. >> clearly, george.

this issue, we know it's an attractable issue. we know the politics of washington. to see the tears streaming down the face of the president is rare. he talked about every time hi thinks about sandy hook and those first graders, he gets angry. then pointing out the young man who died recently trying the save the lives of those children around him. a 15-year-old. stunning moment as well. >> sure was. xavion dobson, saying we all can't have the courage to sacrifice our lives. we can have the counsel to vote sean: and from the abc coverage, executive action on gun control. president obama breaking down in tears announcing his controversial plan to bypass the move has gop lawmakers outraged, calling the s actions unconstitutional. here are the highlights.

get a license and run a background check or face criminal prosecution. gun show loophole. the bureau of alcohol and tobacco and firearms would add background checks. the president is calling on gun makers to weapons such as fingerprint readers so only the owner can use it. president obama: you pass a background check, you purchase a firearm. the problem is, some gun sellers have been operating under a different set of rules. of violent killington -- a violent felon canbuy the exact same up and over the internet with no background check, no questions asked. a recent study found one in 30 people looking to buy guns on one website had criminal records. sean: there is a lot of reaction to this. we will have much more on the president' s action and reaction from the regulars in new hampshire tonight starting at 5:00. meantime, we are following some

one person has died after a house caught fire this morning. jennifer crumpton is live in crompton with what we know. jennifer: police and fire have confirmed that someone died, met in the upstairs unit, top left aside, was one of 4 people in the home at the time. he did not make it out. the other three were taken away and check for smoke inhalation. we spoke to the fire chief just moments ago. >> we can confirm that one person was cap inside the fire. we are invested in nasty what happened and why that happened and who the person is. -- investigating what happened and person is. jennifer: the fire scene is the medical examiner is on the scene. the fire marshal is expected in a bit.

farmington at about 9:30 this morning for heavy flames coming through the roof of this two- story single family home. to some young men. still under investigation. no identities released yet. the condition of those taken on hospital is not clear at this time. we will have much more on the story tonight at 5:00 :00. jennifer crumpton, wmur news 9. sean: a couple from hooksett is thankful today even though a fire has forced them from their home. the couple awoke this morning to the sound of smoke detectors going off. the sound alerted them in time to rescue their pets, and get out safely. and as ray brewer reports, some preventative maintenance by the wife made sure that happened. ray: the homeowners said they thought the original fire was out for both the homeowners and the hooksett fire department say lessons to be learned.

detectors, this could have been the scene of a tragedy. >> in this situation, the smoke detectors saved their lives the life and daughter heard is not smoke detector, the outcome could have been different. ray: it began with a small fire on a back deck. by cigarette ashes with back deck. ray: the homeowner thought he put the fire out. around 1:30 tuesday morning -- fire alarm. last name not be used, said there was smoke in the house. they were able to escape with their pat and -- cat and petrol. --pet turtle. >> there is no power to the home at this point due to the fire in the kitchen. ray: damage to the home is

tina is grateful she made it out safely. >> i just replaced my so make and that they are working and they can save your life. ray: even if you think a fire is out, firefighters say sometimes fire is actually out. >> something that we can check over with the thermal imaging cameras so we can get into those spaces and see if there is any hidden fire in those areas. ray: the bottom line can even though you may feel foolish, the fired says it pays to call them and have the professionals check things out. in hooksett, ray brewer, wmur news 9. sean: thanks, good advice. and in gorham, fire officials say improper disposal of wood stove material is to blame for sparking an overnight fire there. the flames broke out around 11:00 last night at a garage at 2 hitchcock drive. when crews arrived they say they saw flames coming from a vent in the roof. firefighters managed to put out the fire, but the house sustained a lot of smoke damage. gorham' s fire chief says the family had just replaced the

detector and were able to safely escape with their cat. many parts of the state saw their coldest temps of the season this morning. so if you haven' t stepped outside yet, you are going to want to bundle up. here' s a live look from berlin. the sun may be shining but it' s not that warm out there. meteorologist kevin skarupa joins us with what we can expect for the rest of the day. kevin: 20 below zero, so they are 30 degrees above the overnight low just six hours ago. we are looking at beautiful conditions out the window. a lot of sunshine across the area. at least a much lighter breeze in most locations, although we have seen an occasional gust over 15 miles an hour. nothing but sunshine over the next few days. after another chilly night tonight, the windchill numbers continue to come up as well. a lot of those were below zero this morning. we' re looking at a moderating trend starting tomorrow afternoon and that should come with a good deal of sunshine to

sean: within the last hour, we' ve learned a man rescued from a nashua apartment last week has died. firefighters found high levels of carbon monoxide in the building where the man was officials say there were no c.o. detectors inside. the suspect in a hit and run in farmington is now in custody. 22-year-old suspect tyler emery turned himself in last night. he was wanted for allegedly running over and dragging 24-year-old nicole lundrigan as she tried to pay for cigarettes. police think she was dragged about forty feet. he was wanted for robbery and reckless conduct. a new homeless shelter is opening in concord today. the center provides 60 new beds for the homeless community. last month the concord city council voted to invest $30,000 of surplus money in the operating costs for that shoulder. meantime, several republican presidential candidates continue to stump in new hampshire ahead of our first-in-the-nation primary. here' s a look at which gop contenders will be in the granite state today. they include jim gilmore, donald trump, john kasich, carly