Gun background check bill likely tabled

A new bill that is set to introduce universal background checks on firearm purchasers is expected to be presented to the US Congress.

News about the bill came as Senator Charles Schumer voiced optimism that the Congress could pass the new legislation, calling it "the sweet spot."

Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press on January 20, Schumer said he is the author of a bill on universal background checks and revealed he expected lawmakers to show broad support for the measure.

"I think this is the best chance we have of getting something done and I think you're going to have much broader support than you'd ever imagine," Schumer said.

The bill is in line with the sweeping gun-violence reduction plan that President Obama unveiled mid January.

The president also called on Congress to give the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) $10 million to study gun violence, and possible links to video games and media images.

The plans follow nation-wide protests sparked by the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The shooting claimed the lives of 27 people, 20 of them children.