Biden’s gun safety task force to meet with NRA

>>> but let us start on a wednesday morning in washington where the obama administration is getting ready to tackle a whole host of issues, beginning this morning with gun control . peter alexander is at the white house . peter, good morning.

>> reporter: matt, good morning to you. barely a week into this new year and the president, as you know, is already juggling a handful of challenges with looming fights over guns, confirmation of his national security team and the nation's fast-approaching credit card limit. with the white house 's self imposed deadline for gun safety proposals at the end of this month, vice president biden's task force begins a series of meetings with victims' advocates, the entertainment industry and tomorrow gun rights groups, including for the first time since the newtown massacre, the nra . who told nbc news we are sending a representative to hear what they have to say.

>> the nra says it will hear what the white house has to say, if you're here to listen to them, they're here to listen to you.

>> the the process is designed to get input.

>> reporter: a woman who barely survived gun violence , gabrielle giffords . on tuesday, exactly two years after she was severely wounded by a gunman, the former arizona representative and her husband, mark kelly , launched a campaign pushing for a crackdown on guns, to counter balance the nra , writing in an op ed that as gun owners and survivors of gun violence , we have a unique message for americans.

>>> also, the mother of christina taylor green, the tucson shooting's youngest victim, pleading for gun control .

>> when will you find the courage to stand up to the gun lobby ? whose child has to die next?

>>> meanwhile, more pushback over chuck hagel .

>> i think there are serious policy concerns and i think these hearings are going to make a great deal of difference as to whether he is confirmed or not.

>> reporter: with washington barreling toward its borrowing limit, the white house is digging in its heels for debate over the debt ceiling.

>> it is congress' responsibility to ensure that the bills congress racked up are paid.

>> reporter: just one of several looming showdowns as the president prepares to kick off his second term.

>> what you're seeing is a more aggressive barack obama , someone who is looking more at polish ing what his place in history will be, the mark he wants to leave on the country in the next four years. and that, in some ways, means a more contentious relationship with congress.

>> reporter: and some serious people, matt, are floating an idea to try to avoid that debt ceiling crisis, proposing that the treasury department mint a platinum trillion dollar coin . you put it in the federal reserve , help to pay off the money that the u.s. owes. more than 6,000 people have signed on to a petition at the white house 's website. if this were ever to happen, which some say is a ridiculous idea, you would hate to be the guy that mistook the trillion dollar coin for a quarter at the parking meter.