President Obama considers bypassing Congress to curb gun violence

President Barack Obama delivers a statement shortly after the massacre that left 14 dead and many others wounded in San Bernardino, California. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

In the wake of the latest mass shooting in the US, the White House is mulling over the action it can take to quell gun violence.

The Obama administration is also considering bypassing Congress, with the assumption that Republicans would block any efforts to further restrict access to firearms.

Investigators are currently seeking a motive after two suspects, a recently married couple, carried out a deadly attack in San Bernardino, California. FBI officials have not found significant links to terrorist activity — besides a Facebook post praising Isis — and have considered a workplace dispute as a motive.

During the White House daily press briefing, Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that President Obama would consider ways to prevent future attacks as facts are collected. He also chided Republicans who recently blocked two proposed gun control measures in Congress.

People attend a candle-lit vigil in San Bernardino, California. Mark J Terrill/Associated Press

"Why on Earth do we think it’s a good idea for somebody that the government thinks is too dangerous to board a plane to be able to buy a gun?" Secretary Earnest asked on Thursday. “But once again, Republicans blocked that legislation that would make that illegal. So we’ve got some work to do.”

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein presented an amendment to an ObamaCare repeal bill that would have blocked firearm sales to people on the federak terrorism watch list. The measure failed 45-54.

“As the investigation moves forward, it’s going to be important for all of us — including legislatures — to see what we can do to make sure that when individuals decide that they want to do somebody harm, we’re making it a little harder for them to do it, because right now it’s just too easy,” Secretary Earnest said.

He added that the White House is also prepared to reform the K-1 visa process that 27-year-old suspect Tashfeen Malik traveled to the US from Pakistan in 2014 when she married Syed Rizwan Farook. Since it involved at least one US citizen, the fiancee visa is typically processed faster than any other visa requests, according to the Washington Post.

"For those who are concerned about terrorism, some may be aware of the fact that we have a no-fly list where people can't get on planes, but those same people who we don't allow to fly could go into a store right now in the United States and buy a firearm and there's nothing that we can do to stop them," President Obama said in a statement on Wednesday. "That's a law that needs to be changed."

As the investigation unfolded, it was revealed that all of the guns used by the attackers were purchased legally with two of them purchased by the attackers.