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01/10/2013 06:12 PM

Biden stresses urgent action to curb gun violence

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Tasked by President Obama to develop new policies to reduce gun violence, Vice President Joe Biden has been meeting with clergy, gun rights advocates, the video game industry, gun retailers and gun owner groups.

Vice President Biden said he will hand President Obama his recommendations by next Tuesday. Biden expressed an urgent need to address the issue.

"There's nothing that has gone to the heart of the matter more than the visual image people have of little six-year-old kids being riddled, not shot with a stray bullet, riddled, riddled with bullet holes in their classroom," Biden said.

The vice president has been meeting with stakeholders over the past week. On Thursday, he met gun owners groups including the National Rifle Association, who with the following statement criticized the meeting.

We were disappointed with how little this meeting had to do with keeping our children safe and how much it had to do with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment. It is unfortunate that this Administration continues to insist on pushing failed solutions to our nation's most pressing problems. We will not allow law-abiding gun owners to be blamed for the acts of criminals and madmen.

During an earlier gathering with hunting groups, Biden stressed a desire to respect the rights of gun owners.

"I think we can do a great deal without in any way imposing on, impinging the rights of the Second Amendment," Biden said.

The task force recommendations will likely include universal background checks, limits on high capacity magazines and improving the government's ability to gather information on gun violence.

It appears lawmakers are looking forward to seeing the recommendations—even some Republicans and moderate Democrats.

"I'm a guns rights supporter, I always have been,” Republican Rep. Richard Hanna said. “I also believe though there ought to be a way to keep guns out of the wrong people's hands."