"We are now in a window of opportunity that we haven't been in before, a window where what feels like real change, real change can happen," McConaughey, 52, told reporters.
McConaughey, who went to Uvalde and met with the families of the victims after 19 children and two teachers were shot dead on May 24, spoke eloquently about the deaths of some children
He displayed a color drawing made by 10-year-old Alithea Ramirez, who wanted to one day attend art school in Paris.
McConaughey also pointed to a pair of green Converse shoes kept by his wife, Camilla Alves, that belonged to one of the victims, Mite Rodriguez.
"Green conversation with a heart on the right toe," McConaughey said. "It's the same green talk on his feet that was the only clear evidence that could identify him after the shooting.
"how about that?" He said while giving a lecture in a quiet White House briefing room.
McConaughey, who met with President Joe Biden and members of Congress before addressing the White House press corps, said the victims' families told him they wanted to "make a case for their loss."
"They want their children's dreams to come true," he said.
"We consoled so many people," he said. "And you know what they said? 'We want safe and secure schools and we want gun laws that don't make it so easy for bad guys to get these damn guns.
"We need to invest in mental health care. We need safe schools," he said. "We need to restore our American values ??and we need responsible gun ownership.
"We need background checks," he continued. "We need to raise the minimum age to buy an AR-15 rifle to 21."
McConaughey, who won the Best Actor Oscar in 2014 for the film "Dallas Buyers Club" and flirted with running for Texas governor, said it should be a "non-partisan issue"....AFP