Tearful President Obama On Gun Control: 5 Things To Know

With families of shooting victims standing behind him as a backdrop that sought to put faces to the nation’s gun violence, an emotional President Obama announced Tuesday executive actions to expand background checks and increase mental health funding among other measures designed to reduce the bloodshed.

He was interrupted several times by applause, and tears streamed down his face as he reflected on the Sandy Hook shooting that killed 26 people, including 20 schoolchildren.

“The United States of America is not the only country on Earth with violent or dangerous people,” Obama said. “We are not inherently more prone to violence. But we are the only advanced country on Earth that sees this kind of mass violence erupt with this kind of frequency.”

Here are five things to know about his speech, including the executive action proposed and some early reaction.

Expand background checks

A key focus of Obama’s executive action centers on background checks.

All gun sellers, the president said, will be required to conduct background checks and have a license to sell firearms.

And the National Instant Criminal Background Check System will hire more staffers to more efficiently deal with the increased number of background checks conducted.

Mental health funding

The Obama administration will propose $500 million in funding for access to mental health care.

“For those in Congress who often rush to blame mental illness for mass shootings, here’s chance to put your money where your mouth is,” Obama said.

Better gun technology

Obama suggested advancements in gun technology that could help with stolen guns or prevent children from accidentally shooting themselves or others.

“If we can make an app to find your iPad, which I use a lot, why can’t we do the same for stolen guns?” Obama said.

“If a child can’t open a bottle of Aspirin, we should make sure they can’t pull a trigger on a gun.”

Not trying to ‘take away everybody’s guns’

The National Rifle Association — the powerful gun lobby that has played a key role in blocking previous gun legislation — and conservative politicians were a frequent target of the president.

“This is not a plot to take away everybody’s guns,” Obama said, echoing a popular criticism of his previous gun control proposals. ‘You pass a background check, you purchase a firearm.”

Immediate criticism

“From day one, the president has never respected the right to safe and legal gun ownership that our nation has valued since its founding,” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said in a statement.

“Funny how @POTUS invokes civil liberties while trying to restrict one of them. #2A,” the NRA tweeted.