The U.S. Senate denied the approval of several measures to expand gun control.

On April 17, the country watched as the bill failed to receive the 60 votes needed in the Senate.

The gun legislation was a bipartisan compromise, expanding background checks for those interested in purchasing a gun. The legislation also placed a ban on both assault weapons and high-capacity gun magazines.

The Senate also denied Republican proposals to expand approval to carry concealed weapons and to persuade law enforcement to focus more of its attention on gun crimes.

After the Senate’s defeat, President Barack Obama shared his thoughts during a public announcement.

“By now it’s well known that 90 percent of the American people support universal background checks that would make it harder for a dangerous person to buy a gun,” Obama said. “We’re talking about convicted felons, people convicted of domestic violence, people with a severe mental illness.”

Obama, alongside former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and a few parents of the victims of the Newtown shooting, displayed their disappointment in the Senate’s decision.

“A majority of Senators voted ‘yes’ to protecting more of our citizens with smarter background checks,” Obama said. “But this discontinuing distortion of Senate rules, a minority was able to block it from moving forward.”

The legislation received 54 votes with a few Republican senators and several Democratic senators voting in favor.

The National Rifle Association gathered several of its members to call, email and send letters and fight back with a $500,000 advertising campaign, criticizing Obama and his hope for a gun ban.

Obama said the NRA wasn’t completely honest with its advertisements.

“They claimed that it would create some ‘big brother’ gun registry, even though the bill did the opposite. This legislation in fact outlawed any registry,” Obama said.