National News

Tester says solutions needed after CT school shooting

Posted: Jan 15, 2013 2:05 PM by MTN News

MISSOULA - With President Obama poised to announce "concrete" proposals to prevent gun violence on Wednesday morning, Montana Senator Jon Tester says Congress has to come up with a solution to prevent future incidents.

Obama will be joined by Vice President Joe Biden who led the administration's efforts to determine policy steps to take. Obama said Monday he was reviewing Biden's proposals.

Carrney declined to provide details about what the proposals will include but said Obama "intends to take a comprehensive approach," including renewal of the assault weapons ban which expired after 10 years in 2004, a ban of high-capacity gun magazines and closing background check loopholes.

Tester said during a Tuesday interview that after the mass shooting at a Newtown, Connecticut school, he'd like to see Congress to have a "conversation" about what happened, and come up with a way to prevent future incidents.

"I think what we saw in Connecticut...rips everybody's heart out. But it's much bigger than guns. It has to do with mental health, violence on TV, in video games, and all of those things," The Democrat said. "We absolutely need to have a conversation encompassing all those things."

Tester did not say if he favored a ban on assault weapons or high capacity ammunition clips, saying that, "we have to a have a more comprehensive discussion than just that."

"It's important to have a conversation and come up with something that works," Tester said.

Biden's set of proposals includes as many as 19 executive actions that Obama could take without congressional approval, legislators briefed by Biden said Tuesday.

- information from CNN included in this report