U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said it is "unacceptable" not to do something about gun violence in America.
Biden spoke at a conference on gun violence just a few kilometers from the scene of the December shooting in Newtown, Connecticut - where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults in an elementary school.
Biden praised officials working to tackle gun crime. But he added America will be "judged as a society" if no action is taken to keep citizens safe from gun attacks. He said, "The American people are with us. You should know. You all should know there is a moral price to be paid for inaction."
Experts in the fields of mental health, law enforcement and education participated in the conference in Danbury, Connecticut. The parents of seven-year-old Newtown victim Grace McDonnell took part in one of the panels.
The event was organized by members of the state's congressional delegation.
President Barack Obama is pushing for universal background checks for gun owners, a ban on military-style assault weapons and limits to the size of ammunition magazines.
Gun advocates say additional laws will not keep weapons away from people with violent intent, and the government should instead focus on enforcing exisiting laws.