Bypassing Congress on new rules for gun purchases, President Barack Obama Tuesday offered GOP lawmakers exactly what they have been asking for: expanded access to mental health services. But Republicans, angered by his unilateral actions, didn’t bite.

Republicans have consistently pointed to mental health legislation in the wake of mass shootings, while Democrats focused on tighter rules for buying guns. On Tuesday, Obama proposed a $500 million investment in the mental health system.

“For those in Congress who so often rush to blame mental illness for mass shootings as a way of avoiding action on guns, here’s your chance to support these efforts,” Obama said Tuesday. “Put your money where your mouth is.”

But they didn’t — not immediately, anyway.

The president, who had tears rolling down his cheeks as he recalled the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, unveiled a series of executive actions to combat gun violence, including requiring those who sell firearms at gun shows and on the Internet to obtain licenses and conduct background checks for their customers. He also included some mental health provisions, after several high-profile mass shootings by perpetrators who have shown signs of mental illness. Some in Congress are working to overhaul the mental health system, but there are ongoing disagreements over exactly how that should be done.