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By Jon Swaine, Baltimore and Raf Sanchez in Washington
6:52PM GMT 14 Jan 2013
Confirming that he would propose a ban on firearms such as that used in the massacre of 20 young pupils at a school in Connecticut last month, the president warned that it may be blocked by Congress.
Mr Obama said he was committed to banning assault weapons, tightening background checks and regulating high-capacity ammunition, as well as other proposals drawn up by Joe Biden, the vice-president.
"Will all of them get through this Congress? I don't know," he said at the White House. "My starting point is not to worry about the politics. My starting point is to figure out what makes sense."
His comments came amid reports Harry Reid, his party's leader in the Senate, was warning privately that he may not be able to deliver an assault weapons ban through the upper chamber, despite the Democrats' majority.
Democrats in conservative states fear that supporting it could end their careers
6:52PM GMT 14 Jan 2013
Confirming that he would propose a ban on firearms such as that used in the massacre of 20 young pupils at a school in Connecticut last month, the president warned that it may be blocked by Congress.
Mr Obama said he was committed to banning assault weapons, tightening background checks and regulating high-capacity ammunition, as well as other proposals drawn up by Joe Biden, the vice-president.
"Will all of them get through this Congress? I don't know," he said at the White House. "My starting point is not to worry about the politics. My starting point is to figure out what makes sense."
His comments came amid reports Harry Reid, his party's leader in the Senate, was warning privately that he may not be able to deliver an assault weapons ban through the upper chamber, despite the Democrats' majority.
Democrats in conservative states fear that supporting it could end their careers