President Obama vowed on Tuesday night to pursue gun control “with or without Congress.”

In his State of the Union address, Obama referenced recent mass shootings and called for new gun laws. In the aftermath of mass shootings over the last several years, Obama and Democrats have unsuccessfully pushed for new gun control measures.

“Citizenship means standing up for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day,” Obama said.

“I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say ‘we are not afraid,'” he said, “and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook.”

After the speech, Republicans immediately took aim. “He doesn’t have the constitutional authority to act unilaterally and pass legislation on gun control,” Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann told The Daily Caller. “He just doesn’t.”

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