President Obama plans to sit down with Attorney General Loretta Lynch after returning from his Hawaiian vacation to discuss gun control options, he announced during his weekly address Friday.
"A few months ago, I directed my team at the White House to look into any new actions I can take to help reduce gun violence," he said. "And on Monday, I’ll meet with our Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, to discuss our options."
The White House had previously announced the Justice Department was examining unilateral action the president could take on gun control, and would be making recommendation.
The president says in the address his New Year's resolution is to move forward on unfinished business, including "our epidemic of gun violence."
"Last month, we remembered the third anniversary of Newtown. This Friday, I’ll be thinking about my friend Gabby Giffords, five years into her recovery from the shooting in Tucson," he added. "And all across America, survivors of gun violence and those who lost a child, a parent, a spouse to gun violence are forced to mark such awful anniversaries every single day."
He asks for those who "care about this" to help him stand up to the gun lobby.
"The gun lobby is loud and well organized in its defense of effortlessly available guns for anyone," he said. "The rest of us are going to have to be just as passionate and well organized in our defense of our kids."