Obama says assault weapons ban makes sense

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Monday he thinks an assault weapons ban makes sense, after accepting what he said was a "sensible" list of plans to curb gun violence from Vice President Joe Biden.

At a White House press conference a month after the Newtown massacre, Obama backed restricting high capacity magazines and better background checks for gun buyers but acknowledged that some proposals may fail to pass in Congress.

"If there is a step that we can take that will save even one child from what happened in Newtown, we should take that step," Obama said of the elementary school massacre that left 26 people dead.

"The belief that we have to have stronger background checks, that we can do a much better job in terms of keeping these magazine clips with high capacity out of the hands of folks who shouldn't have them, an assault weapons ban that is meaningful... those are things I continue to believe make sense.

"Will all of them get through this Congress? I don't know. But what's uppermost in my mind is making sure I'm honest with the American people and with members of Congress about what I think will work," Obama said.

Obama said that cabinet members led by Biden have "presented me now with a list of sensible common sense steps that can be taken to make sure that the kind of violence we saw at Newtown doesn't happen again."

Obama, who will be inaugurated for his second term next Monday, said he would present details on guns later this week.

Biden was tasked after the Newtown massacre to meet with key players on guns including the National Rifle Association, the powerful lobby which has adamantly opposed any restrictions on the US freedom to bear arms.