WASHINGTON?? President Barack Obama on Monday began the first serious push of his administration to attempt to reduce gun violence, directing Cabinet members to formulate a set of proposals that could include reinstating a ban on assault rifles.
The effort will be led by Vice President Joe Biden, according to two people outside the government who have spoken to senior administration officials since Friday, when a gunman killed his mother and rampaged through Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., killing 20 children, six adults and himself.
The tentative steps ended a paralyzing debate within the administration over how hard to pursue gun-control legislation, which has been a politically perilous issue for many Democrats. There were signs Monday, however, that such Democratic fear was abating.
Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, an advocate of gun rights who drew attention in 2010 by running a commercial that showed him firing a rifle into a piece of legislation serving as a target, said "everything should be on the table" as gun control is debated.
The receptiveness to new gun laws from figures like Manchin suggested the National Rifle Association, long one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington, would face a strong test of its influence in the coming months if it sought to fend off tougher restrictions.
Leaders of the organization have declined interview requests since the shootings, the group's Twitter account has gone silent, and it has deactivated its Facebook page.
Democratic Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada and and Mark Warner of Virginia also made clear that Congress should address the issue; the pair also have been strong supporters of gun rights. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., said she would introduce legislation that would reimpose the assault-rifle ban that lapsed in 2004.
"We need to accept the reality that we're not doing enough to protect our citizens," Reid, the Senate majority leader, said after a moment of silence on the Senate floor.
But any significant gun legislation would require support from leading Republicans, none of whom joined Democrats on Monday in outlining specific changes they might consider.
Obama, who has appeared shaken by the Sandy Hook shootings, met Monday with Biden, who advocated for stricter gun-control measures during his years in the Senate. The president also spoke Monday with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "to begin looking at ways the country can respond to the tragedy in Newtown," according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The New York Times contributed to this story.
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