by Andrew Moran

Created on: January 17, 2013

In light of the four mass shootings that have taken place across the United States in the past few months, President Barack Obama has introduced measures to tackle gun control in the country, according to an announcement he made at the White House on Wednesday.

The president, alongside Vice President Joe Biden, proposed a series of legislative actions that the Congress could enact, including the banning of military-style assault weapons, limiting ammunitions to 10 rounds, strengthening penalties for gun trafficking and requiring the background checks on all gun sales.

Obama also signed 23 Executive Orders, which bypasses the Congress, a move that he has done repeatedly since taking office, even though he campaigned against it in 2008. Some of the executive actions include nominating a director for the bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms (ATF), a presidential memorandum to order federal law enforcement agencies to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations and propose a rule to give law enforcement the function to run full background checks on individuals prior to returning a seized gun.

Another aspect of the executive measures that has garnered media attention is the confirmation that the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their place of residence.

“While there is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, no piece of legislation that will prevent every tragedy, every act of evil,” the president said at a mid-day press conference.  “If there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try it.”

Pres. Obama made the announcement at the White House in front of families who were impacted by the Newtown school shooting.  Four children, who wrote letters to the president following the tragedy that left 20 kids dead, were standing behind him. Many say that the president exploited the children.

Despite the serious measures taken by the Obama administration, several Republicans and some states immediately responded.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant held a press conference in front of the State Capitol in Jackson where he rejected the president’s proposals and vowed to protect the Second Amendment in the Constitution.

“We are here to assure Mississippians that we are going to continue to fight for their Second Amendment

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