"I don't need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future," Biden said, urging his "colleagues in the House and Senate to act."

"We can ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines in this country, once again," he said.

The president specifically called for closing loopholes in the U.S. background check system.

"That's one of the best tools we have right now, to prevent gun violence," he said.

Biden addressed the nation from the White House Tuesday, before traveling to Ohio, where he'll mark the 11th anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act.