Congressman Cohen speaks about gun control, fiscal cliff in news conference | Politics

Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen held a news conference Saturday to address the president's concerns about gun control.

Cohen said he's a gun owner and believes the right to bear arms extends to individuals.

However, he says all laws need limitations.

"In this case, I don't think the Constitution envisioned people having assault weapons and I think the assault weapons ban needs to be re-imposed and I think there needs to be a limit on the number of magazines that give people the ability to shoot 30 bullets in no time at all along the lines of Newtown. The fact these children were killed brings it home even more," he said.

Cohen's friend Congresswoman Gabby Giffords survived being shot by a gunman - who was angry about her policies - at a public event last year.

He used today's news conference to say he supports the president's Gun Control Task Force.

Cohen's news conference also gave the Mid-South insight into the impact of the failed "Fiscal Cliff" talks.

President Barack Obama and Congressional Republicans failed to find a compromise Friday to avert the so-called "Fiscal Cliff" - several tax cuts expire at the same time that a series of spending cuts go into effect January 1st.

Cohen said saving programs like Social Security, Meals on Wheels and Head Start - warrant the president's solution to raise taxes on the 2 percent of the population making one million dollars or more.