Obama to unveil gun-control proposals Wednesday

 　　WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will unveil a "comprehensive" package of gun violence reduction proposals on Wednesday, including renewing assault weapons ban and tougher background checks, said the White House on Tuesday.

　　"I can tell you that tomorrow the president and the vice¹ president will hold an event here at the White House to unveil a package of concrete proposals to reduce gun violence and prevent future tragedies like the one in Newtown, Connecticut," said the White House spokesman Jay Carney during a daily briefing.

　　Obama, who has received gun violence reduction recommendations from the White House task force led by Vice President Joe Biden this week, will be joined by children from around the country who wrote him letters in the wake of Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting to express concerns over gun violence and school safety.

　　Carney stressed that Obama will take "a comprehensive approach" to address the gun issues through the package of proposals.

　　"He has also made clear that there are specific legislative² actions that he will continue to call on Congress to take, including the assault weapons ban, including a measure to ban high- capacity magazine clips, including an effort to close the very big loopholes in the background check system in our country," said Carney.

　　The announcement will come more than a month after 26 people, including 20 schoolchildren, were killed in Sandy Hook Elementary shooting rampage in Newtown, Connecticut State, on Dec. 14, 2012. The mass shooting tragedy has renewed calls for gun control. But National Rifle Association, the country's leading gun rights organization and lobby group, has refused to back some gun control proposals including the renewal³ of the expired assault weapon ban.

　　A new poll found that most Americans support some of the new proposals to counter gun violence, but still divide sharply on how much priority the Obama administration and Congress should give to gun issues.

　　The Washington Post-ABC poll released on Tuesday showed that 58 percent of Americans support renewing the assault weapons ban. Sixty-eight percent of the public, both Democrats⁴ and Republicans, see the economy as the clear top priority for federal action. About a third of all Americans -- 53 percent of Democrats and only 19 percent of Republicans -- believe that enacting⁵ stricter gun control laws should be a high priority.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

3 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。