White House Press Secretary Jay Carney detailed the Obama Administration's approach to upcoming gun control votes in the senate Tuesday on "The Situation Room."
Despite widespread doubts about the viability of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D., Calif.) proposed assault weapons ban, Carney said the White House will continue to actively support the amendment:
WOLF BLITZER: And the president's press secretary Jay Carney is joining us from the White House right now. Jay, it looks like you guys and others who support growing gun control are not getting very far as far as banning assault type weapons. Have you basically given up on that part of gun control?
JAY CARNEY: Absolutely not, Wolf. Every element of the legislative package the president put forward and that he supports in Congress is something that he wants to see voted on and passed by Congress. All of this is tough. Every element is tough. Any of these proposals whether a ban on military assault weapons or limiting the size of ammunition clips or instituting a universal babground system are all difficult. If they weren't they would have been done before. He remains optimistic that there can be a bipartisan effort to take these necessary, common sense measures to reduce gun violence. What he insists on and what you heard him say last night in Connecticut in front of the families of many Newtown victims is that senators do not block filibuster or use other procedural measures to prevent a vote, an up or down vote on these common sense ideas. That would be a shame. It would be shameful.