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President Barack Obama will tap Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to lead his administration’s response to the Newtown, Conn., elementary school massacre in an appearance this morning in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.

Biden will spearhead a multi-agency effort to come up with policies aimed at reducing gun violence, a White House aide said. The president and the vice president on Monday discussed the issue with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.

In the wake of the massacre, the White House has reiterated Obama’s support for gun control measures such as the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole but has emphasized a broader approach that would also look at mental health issues.

The president is not expected to lay out specifics in his statement but rather lay out the process.

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