biden's task force on gun control hears from gun groups advocating gun rights including the national rifle association. biden is promising urgent action against gun violence in the country and says the president could go around congress by issuing an executive order. susan mcginnis gets us starts in washington this morning. susan, good morning to you. >> good morning, terrell. he's asking the vermont's commission for policy recommendations by the end of january, but he's sure to run into opposition from guns owners' groups who want no changingno tightening of gun law. customers at sharpshooters firing range outside of washington, d.c., say, they're keeping a close eye on gun control talks taking place inside the beltway. >> i don't think restricting, you know, people's second amendment rights would be the solution here. >> cbs news has learned the white house is looking at several new laws including reinstating the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. >> we're not going to get caught up in the notion unless we can do everything, we're going to do nothing. it's critically important we act. >> toda

of police, clergy and voters would push forward her bill over the joskses --ing ofs of the national rifle association. she says the nra came after her when she first proposed the assault weapons ban in 1990. >> the nra come after you, they put together large amounts of money to defeat you. they did this in '93 and intend to continue it. >> the nra disputes the characterization of the group, saying its power comes from, quote, more than four million

shouldn't fund research on how to reduce gun violence gun advocates have their own ideas the national rifle association proposes arming principles and teachers to help prevent mass shootings at schools we reached out to the illinois rifle association for comment on tonight's developments they did not return our calls. vice- president joe biden will deliver a plan to crack down on gun violence the vice president's task force is expected to recommend background checks for all gun buyers background checks would include private sales and it may prohibit the use of assault weapons. diminish the probability that what we have seen in these mass shootings and diminish the probability that our children are at risk in their schools. vice president meeting with the representative from the national rifle association for about a half an hour today an hour and a half i should say. he also talk to leaders from wal-mart and dick's sporting goods. conservatives were planning a national gun appreciation day taking place next saturday the liberal organization launched a petition against the event the group will deliver t

it's really unrelated to the political aspects of the national rifle association. >> cenk: you think so? i don't think so. and i know you and i differ on our position on gun policy and i know you have the insider's view here, but to me it looks like the money is intermingling. the member money, the money from corporations, and i'm supposed to believe they are not influenced by the corporate money? >> cenk when i worked at the national rifle association 20 years ago, we were told we represent american gun owners. we don't represent the industry. when i ran the industry's trade association, i negotiated the child safety lock deal with then president bill clinton. i stood in the rose garden and made that announcement, and it really doesn't matter whether it's bill clinton or president obama or wayne lapierre. if it makes sense, it makes sense. and if it doesn't, it doesn't. we need to grow up in the country, and start dealing with the real problems and face them as adults and i think we can and should. and enough with the comments and the back and forth. the problem in america -- and we

these senators should not fear the national rifle association. nra didn't affect any races in the last election cycle and it probably won't do it the next time around. now, if senate democrats cannot get over the hump of losing their a rating from the national rifle association, folks, this gun legislation, it isn't going to go anywhere. senator al flanken en franken of minnesota is another democratic lawmaker who was somewhat puzzling in the last 24 hours who decided to clarify his position. he says, "i co-sponsored legislation to ban large clips like those used in so many mass shootings," he said in a statement. "i also support the principle that we should reinstate a ban on assault weapons. and i will carefully review any proposal to do that." in principle. can we get some straight talk? because that in principle kind of thing leaves a little wiggle room that maybe you might not do it, al. there are other senate democrats ready to vote right now. there are multiple democrats sponsoring their own legislation. a background check bill from senator

recommendations from vice president biden who has met with everyone from victims' groups to the national rifle association. in the meantime, some states are forging ahead on their own. the new york legislature moved today to adopt the nation's toughest gun control bill. the measure broadens the definition of assault weapons under an existing ban and limits ammunition magazines to seven rounds. it also creates a registry for all private gun sales, and it requires that mental health professionals report patients who make credible threats to commit a gun crime. >> i am proud to be a new yorker today. i am proud to be part of this government. not just because new york has the first bill but because new york has the best bill. this is a complex multifaceted problem. this is a comprehsive bill that addreses the full panorama and spectrum of issues that come up. >> woodruff: other leaders, including new york city mayor michael bloomberg, have joined the call for action this week at a summit on gun violence in baltimore. >> the rate of firearms homicide in america is 20 times higher than it is in other economical

the national rifle association claims to speak for people you know many many americans own guns obviously they like to hunt they want to protect themselves the issues today tend to focus not on whether you should have a rifle and go out and shoot a deer or somewhere but whether people should have the right to own submachine guns assault weapons i don't think you can go after a deer with a k. forty seven or if you do it seems like a fairly unfair way of hunting. so are you allowed to own any weapon you want i mean should people have cannons you know bazookas nuclear weapons the national rifle association seems to think there should be no limit whatsoever on the weaponry that an individual can you know amass in their home but that i think is not at all what the founding fathers when they put the second amendment in to the constitution did not envision people stockpiling large amounts of very dangerous weapons in their homes that's not what the second amendment is about professor farming adams's story and you are able to dick take the long view so to speak looking at historical trends what d

so far the national rifle association has made major headway. nra president wayne lapierre offered to post an armed nra member inside every school in america. the idea was widely criticized. just a few days after christmas, hundreds of teachers attended the nra's free weapons training course in utah. this is a fourth grade teacher learning how to use a handgun. this is another fourth grade teacher practicing with a plastic gun. gun clubs in arizona and ohio claim they've been getting flooded with applications from teachers who want gun training. the nra has moved quickly, but president obama is steadfast. he repeated his commitment to stopping gun violence during the news conference last night. california senator dianne feinstein is introducing an assault weapons ban on the first day of the new session. the gun debate comes down to this. the nra is arming teachers. the democrats need the political will to fight back. let's turn to sam stein, political reporter "huffington post," with us here tonight. sam, they never cease to amaze us. can democra

>>> the national rifle association is taking some serious heat for a controversial new ad spotlightingobama's daughters. david keene is the president of the national rifle association. he's here in the situation room. thanks for coming in. >> my pleasure. >> i'll play a little clip from the ad first. >> sure. go ahead. >> are the president's kids more important than yours? then why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their school? mr. obama demands the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes but he's an elitist hip prypocr. protection for their kids and gun-free zones for ours. >> that's the ad. it's getting a lot of mileage out there on social media but a lot of people -- why bring the daughters, sasha and malia into this? >> it's not them specifically. >> you mention them specifically. >> we don't mention them specifically. we mention his kids and other kids. they are attending schools that have private security guards. we're not talking about the secret service. david gregory's kids go there, too. send their kids t

the tragedy in committee kit at sandy hook gallantry has sparked a national conversation on protecting our children from the epidemic of school shootings. the national rifle association points to the second amendment of the constitution and a right to bear arms. local police chiefs here in chicago say there is also a solemn ipod legationobligation for public safety. >> the shuffling of president obama cabinet. she announced that she is stepping down from her post. she says her resignation was one of the most difficult decisions he has ever made. the washington post reports that she was expected to resign to run for office in her home state of california. the president is expected to nominate white house chief of staff jack lew his choice for next secretary. he is overseen budget talks in times of surplus as well as the deficit. he has also played a key role in the 2011 debt ceiling talks. the president is expected to speak within the next few minutes and we will bring you the announcement live when that happens. >> new york times calls him a fiscal progress of a fiscal expertise. high praise from washington insiders. you have the honor of putting his signature on all

nation's gun policy. as we first reported here last night, today president obama came out with his proposals for the most sweeping gun control measures in many years. the national rifle association launched a preemptive strike against it. it involved the president's family, in part. but this time they may have some formidable opposition to their position. it's where we begin our reporting tonight with our chief white house correspondent, chuck todd. chuck, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. this was no ordinary policy rollout. we have seen the president do this on a number of issues. this one was filled with an emotional plea, if you will. in fact, the president spent more time trying to drum up support for a campaign using emotion than he did talking about his actual plans themselves. an emotional president obama unveiled his plan in front of an audience that included parents of newtown victims. >> she dreamed of becoming a painter. chris, her father, gave me one of her paintings. and i hung it in my private study. and every time i look at that painting, i think about how when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable among us, we must act now. for grace. >> the p

. >>> vice president joe biden will meet today with the national rifle association and executives from walmart one of the nation's biggest gun retailers. cbs reporter susan mcginnis says, this is part of a series of meetings this week in an effort to change gun control laws. >> reporter: customers outside washington, d.c. say they are keeping a close eye on gun cell talks taking place inside the beltway. >> i don't think restricting, you know, people's right to -- second amendment rights would be a solution here. >> reporter: cbs news has learned the white house is looking at several new laws including reinstating the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004, extending criminal and mental health background checks to firearms sales at gun shows, and through private dealers. >> it's critically important we act. >> reporter: today the vice president meets with representatives of gun owner groups including the national rifle association. the nra believes any restrictions on guns and ammo violate the constitution. >> i don't want any part of my freedom taken away. >> reporter: vice presiden

including a white house meeting on gun control between vice president biden and leaders of the national rifle association. i'll tell you why the nra leaders walked away disappointed. plus, the pentagon tightens its belts ahead of possible cuts. >>> first, our top story at 5:30 a.m. here at 30 rock in new york city. amid a national debate about guns and violence, a california teacher and a campus supervisor are being credited for heroic actions yesterday during yet another school shooting. it happened in taft, california, around the same time vice president joe biden was holding meetings in washington about possible gun regulation. police say a 16-year-old gunman who felt he was being bullied specifically targeted two students using 12-gauge shotguns. one of them was shot and remains in critical but stable condition. the second student was not hit. police say the teacher in the classroom who was grazed by a shotgun pellet and a campus supervisor managed to engage the gunman in conversation and convince him to drop his weapon. police say the shotgun belonged to the suspect's brother. taft high school where

the national rifle association responded to the president's announcement with the statement, attackingirearms and ignoring children is not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation, only honest law-abiding gun owners will be affected, and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy. despite the president's statement that today's event was all about protecting america's youth, there is little question that no one or any combination of his executive orders would do as much to protect schoolchildren as the nra proposal to place armed guards and all of our schools, a recommendation that most on the left and in the national media initially tried to who down. a proposal that elicited a skeptical response from the president himself, but which is now beginning brought up momentum. a new ad accuses the president of elite is hypocrisy on the issue. >> are the president's kids more important than yours? why is he skeptical about putting our security in our schools? his kids are protected by armed guards at their schools. mr. obama demands the wealthy pay their fair

the national rifle association, which is reportedly planning to launch a daily tv talk show, released an ad critical of the president. the nra also issued this statement: in the marketplace, gun manufacturers report sales are up and may not be hurt by the president's plan to ban assult weapons and high-capacity clips. "they make such a small contribution to the company's bottom line that what impact it'll have is yet to be seen." in st. louis, a part-time student at the stevens institute of business shot the school's financial aid director in the chest wednesday, then turned the gun on himself. the wounded men were rushed to the hospital. the shooter, identified as 34-year-old sean johnson, reportedly has a history of mental illness. the victim, identified as greg elsenrath, is expected to recover. american airlines is upward- bound, according to the ceo. the airline just reported turning a profit in the 4th quarter, which was due in part to cost cutting. amr is said to be closer to wrapping up its bankrutpcy restructing. and, the airline plans to unveil a new look at its fleet this m

the national rifle association membership has soared by about 100,000 new members in just over two weeks. we will be taking up the obama assault on the second amendment with his presidential power, by talking with trey gowdy and peter jensen. also tonight, a live report on big news out of washington. president obama officially nominating jack lew to head up the treasury department. shannon bream handles that for us. we will take an in-depth look at what has become an epidemic in this country. doctor robbie ludwig joins us on the psychology of what is a culture. what some call human graffiti. and secretary geithner not winning resounding support from republicans despite the fact that is budget director in the clinton administration, he presided over three straight balanced budgets. shannon bream has our report. reporter: >> i cannot think of a better person to continue then jack lew. reporter: president obama signaling plans to continue by nominating jack lew. he has handled a string of issues that has impacted the economy. >> he presided over three budget surpluses in a row. for all the

husband mark kelly pushed forward requiring background checks, but wayne lapierre of the national rifle association said criminals never submit to them. >> we're going to make all the law-abiding people go through the system and then we're not going to prosecute any of the bad guys if we do catch one, and none of it makes any sense in the real world. >> requiring private sellers to require a background check before they transfer a gun is -- i mean for us, i can't think of something that would make our country safer than doing just that. >> during his testimony kelly made reference to another shooting in arizona. a gunman opened fire at a phoenix office yesterday. one person was killed. two others were wounded. and the gunman is on the run. >>> city officials in newtown, connecticut, where 26 people were shot dead at an elementary school are calling for tougher gun control measures. hundreds attended a hearing last night and randall pinkston reports. >> jesse was 6 years old. >> reporter: scarlet lewis at the site of a picture of her son jesse. he was among the 26 killed at sandy hook elementary sch

the head of the national rifle association says he believes there's not enough support in congress to ban assault weapons. >> i would say that the likelihood is that they're not going to be able to get an assault weapons ban through this congress. >> it's a view many republicans share, including senator john mccain who spoke on cbs's "face the nation." >> did you think an assaults weapons ban can pass the congress? >> no. >> do you think it should? >> no. >> the nra is pushing for laws that would restrict the mentally ill from owning guns. now, some in congress, including new york senator chuck schumer, want retailers like walmart which sells guns to take action ahead of congress to stop selling those assault weapons. terrell. >> susan mcginnis in washington. susan, good to see you. thank you so much. >>> the hollywood foreign press association awarded the golden globes to the year's best in television. it's a clue of what's to come on oscar night. "les miserables" won and jessica chastain won best actress in a drama for her role in "zero dark thirty." but it was jodie foster's accept

two proposals the national rifle association and others are bound to fight. peter doocy is in washington with more on the plan that is expected to be unveiled this week. >> reporter: good morning. eric, the national rifle association does not think congress can pass an assault weapons ban or a restriction on high-capacity ammunition. and the nra president explained today, he thinks those clips are tough to regulate because they cost so little to make. >> the fact is that -- we live in a society where, first of all, we have a constitutional right and secondly, there are millions and millions of americans who value the rights that they have under the second amendment and who are involved in the shooting sports or use firearms for self-defense. we think they are going to be hurt. >> the argument against an assault weapons ban was made concisely by haley barbour who said, quite simply, if you make it a crime to have a gun, only criminals will have gun. but many lawmakers -- mostly democrats -- have been trying to poke holes in that argument. and senator chris murp

he has a b grade a good grade for the national rifle association. he has many senators up for election in 2014. he doesn't want to bring gun control votes their opponent can pupil mel them for. i am talking about senator mckargher and mark twakus of montana. they are weary and nervous about stepping into this issue. >> majority leader reed was endorced the national rifle association not in the last election but as you mentioned midterms come upon us very quickly. what does the president actually get do you think? >> i think he has something all of the executive orders he got issued which are relatively mild obviously those will stand. most americans wouldn't have particular objection to them. senator fine stein's bill which if he specifies 150 weapons including shot gurns of all things would be banned i think that has a limited shelf life in the u.s. senate. i think the president will put most of the chips on the background checks. he may get progress there but there's a lot of evidence the existing background check is just a mess. maybe we should h

opponents led by the national rifle association promised a political fight against gun control measurese the constitutional right to bear arms. the announcement is expected at 845. the vice president will be with him and we will bring you the comments live as they unfold here on the kron4 morning this. >> in san francisco to pieces of gun control legislation were introduced to the board of supervisors. the first bans the possession of military-style ammunition such as how point bullets. the sale of those bullets is already illegal. this actual make owning them crime as well. the sec requires police notification when someone in san francisco by 500 rounds of ammunition are more and it includes online purchases. it would take several steps to make these two changes into law. >> and the polls suggest that nearly 60 percent of americans want stricter gun laws following last month's deadly shooting at sandy hook elementary. 84 percent answered the associated press yet cable what background checks for gun purchases at gun shows. >> there was a larger than expected turn out at the gun buyback

and the other thing to remember is that wayne lapierre is not the leader, per se, of the national rifle associationhe leads at the behest of the board. and i think right now there is a great deal of turmoil, for reasons that krystal discussed, because of the pressure that we've seen for gun control in this country. >> let's listen to a point that dick durbin made. >> we need the fire power and the ability to protect -- ourselves from our government, from the police if they knock on our doors and we need to fight back, do you agree with that point of view? >> if you look at why the founding fathers put it there, they lived under the tyranny, and didn't want to live under tyranny. >> chief johnson, you have heard it. the belief that the nra as a second amendment has to give the americans the fire power to fight against you, against our government. >> frank this is the point you make, the nra's position now is that citizens need the fire power that matches the heavier fire power of the police and the military. >> look, lapierre has written that himself and said it himself a number of times, whenever h

the national rifle association released this that calling attention to the secret service and his daughtersheir private school. the spot echoing the group's proposal for arms police armedarmed police officers house democratic leader nancy pelosi heading into a hearing on a new gun restrictions said that the ad crosses a line. completely inappropriate to involve the president's children they have protection because of national security. it's really inappropriate. it's just a disgrace. >> other say that the debt amounted to intimidation. that kind of ad i think is dangerous. irresponsible chance this is not your grandfather's nra there was also outraged over at the white house most americans agree that the president's children should not be used as pawns in a political fight but to go so far as to make the safety of the president's children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly. this is the side of the century and i need you on board with the nra now more than ever. this ad is getting mixed but massive reviews online. many of you have contacted on facebook to share your opinio

this is something that also has the support of the national rifle association. he will also order better distribution of mental health records by assuring states that doing so does not violate the privacy rights of people. this aimed at making sure mentally unstable people don't have access to guns but the president, white house aides say this has to be a combination of things. you need congress to pass the proposals that you mentioned earlier. an assault weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazines, and also universal background checks to deal with the 40% or so of guns that are sold now to people without any background check. and you need a change in the heart of a nation if you will, to somehow, as the white house sees it, trade, i don't want to say trade gun rights but recognize that there needs to be a balance of second amendment rights and reasonable security for people. the president also offering more aid to schools that want to increase security there. but as he said, it is going to be a tough fight and he is going to need the support of people who are

. >>> the national rifle association is singing to new lows in the polls. and new lows in their tactics against president obama. they are now using the president's daughters. >> well, president obama trumped congress. >> the president is planning to take matters into his own hands when it comes to gun control. >> i'm confident there are some steps we can take. >> 19 possible actions he can take. >> i'm against having a king. >> president says if congress doesn't do what i want. >> somebody who wants to bypass the constitution, that is somebody who wants to act like a king. >> the power to make laws starts in the house and senate. >> congress didn't get anything done. >> there is myth around gun control in this country. >> has it become the guns over people party? >> you have the extremists on talk radio? >> i am totally confused. >> youxtremist politicians. >> all of this comes as governors of delaware, new york and maryland. some of the strictest laws in our nation on guns. >> led by governor andrew cuomo. >> the people in this state are crying out. >> i h

yesterday it reached out to gun owners and the national rifle association, which didn't like what it heard. the head of the national rifle association described his group's meeting with vice president biden as disappointing. saying that most of the talk focused on restricting the rights of legal gun owners. >> the vice president made it clear that on terms of firearms they have made up their minds. >> reporter: that's not the way the vice president sees it as he told reporters just before the meeting with gun advocates. >> there's no conclusion i've reached and with my colleagues i'm putting together a series of recommendations for the president. >> reporter: biden said there's growing consensus from his meetings to require universal background checks and ban high capacity magazine clips. two proposals the nra, which represents more than 4 million gun owners strongly opposes. the biden meetings weren't the only ones on thursday. several large retailers who sell guns including walmart and dick's sporting goods met with attorney general eric holder part of mr. biden's task force to deve

the national rifle association was consulted by the vice president's panel, but today the n.r.a. described its opposition to this new plan as the "fight of the century." bill plante sat down today with the president of the n.r.a., david keene. >> reporter: you're against the ban on these so-called assault weapons because you don't believe that they're used in that many crimes. >> well, they're not. they're not used in very many crimes, and all the statistics show that. anybody who dies from any reason at the hands of a criminal or somebody who is insane-- or in an accident, for that matter-- is a tragedy. nobody is saying it isn't. but what i am saying is, banning these firearms is not going to accomplish very much. >> reporter: what about the ammunition magazines? the white house proposes limiting ammunition magazines to no more than ten rounds. >> you know, that sounds good. they did it last time they had an assault weapons ban. and, you know, in fact, there have been studies of how many cartridges are used in the average violent crime, and it's about three. >> reporter: what t

the national rifle association boasting a record number of members. all in anticipation of new gun laws. >> very well. >> reporter: questions have also been raised about violent movies and video games. the makers of video games cite research, which finds no evidence that exposure to violent video games is connected to violent crime. these were the last executives to meet with biden who asked for their help. >> as this president said, diminish the possibility, even if it only saved one kid's life as a consequence. >> reporter: biden is expected to recommend reinstituting the assault rifle ban. one was passed in 1994 as part of a crime bill and expired ten years later. its effectiveness is still being debated. universal background checks. right now, checks are only conducted when a gun is purchased at a retailer. this would close the so-called gun show loophole and go farther, requiring a check for any private sale of a gun. and limiting magazine clips. some call it a "war on ammo," banning high-capacity clips, limiting them to possibly ten rounds. the n

the national rifle association somehow managed to put this stealth legislation into president obama's health care reform bill. the question is how and why. and why, whatever you think of a law, one of the president's top allies, that's right, the president's ally, helped the nra get it passed. no surprise that there's a big dose of politics involved here. jim acosta tonight is keeping 'em honest. >> when president obama signed national health care reform into law, few in washington knew that buried in the legislation's more than 900 pages was a gift to the nation's powerful gun lobby. but here it is. a provision entitled "protection of second amendment rights." it states the government and health insurers cannot collect any information relating to the lawful ownership or possession of a firearm or ammunition. the provision was such a secret, "the washington post" reports that some people in the white house didn't even know it existed, despite being in the president's signature legislation. joan alger did notice it. >> who put it in there? it might surprise you to learn it was this man

tomorrow vice president biden will meet with gun advocacy groups, including the national rifle association. no doubt they will ask the vice president about something he said earlier today. >> the president is going to act. there are executive orders, executive action that can be taken. we haven't decided what that is yet. but we're compiling it all with help of the attorney general and all the rest of the cabinet members, as well as legislative action we believe is required. >> the vice president said there is no decision yet on any type of action when it comes to the executive action, but the idea of the white house acting like that on its own has the right wing, of course, freaking out. the drudge report, well, sheer some journalism for you. they put it up this way there you see it. president obama is like hitler and stalin. far right wing members of congress are already getting ready for a fight. congressman jeff duncan of south carolina said in a statement "we live in a republic, not a dictatorship." guests on fox news were in hysterics. >> if he does executives, he is becoming more li