Washington – President Biden said Thursday it was time to end “carnage” and the loss of American lives in mass shootings across the country while calling on Congress to approve what he called “measures” rational and common sense “to curb armed violence.
“How much carnage are we willing to accept? How many more innocent American lives should be taken before we say enough? Enough,” Biden said in a high-profile address on armed violence delivered from the White House.
The president’s statements come as the nation struggles with the aftermath of the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. In a symbol of how armed violence is a nationwide problem, 56 candles representing the 50 states and six U.S. territories lined Mr. Biden’s path to the Cross Hall podium, according to the White House.
“After Columbine, after Sandy Hook, after Charleston, after Orlando, after Las Vegas, after Parkland, nothing has been done,” the president said. “This time it can’t be true. This time, we really have to do something.”
President Joe Biden talks about the latest round of mass shootings and proposed arms control measures from the White House East Room on June 2, 2022. Evan Vucci / AP
As he pointed out earlier, Mr Biden called for a ban on the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, almost 20 years after their expiry, but said that if this could not be done, then the minimum age for the purchase of semi-automatic weapons. must be aged 18 to 21 years. He also called for a strengthening of background checks, the enactment of safe storage and red flag laws, and the repeal of the immunity that protects weapons manufacturers from liability.
The president also called for mental health resources to be strengthened, saying there is a “serious crisis of youth mental health in this region”.
Mr Biden was adamant that “this is not about taking away anyone’s rights”, rebuked some who claimed that arms control measures would violate the rights of the Second Amendment and stressed that there had been time restrictions on weapons that Americans may have.
“It’s about protecting children,” Biden said. “It’s about protecting families. It’s about protecting entire communities. It’s about protecting our freedom to go to school, to a grocery store, to a church without being shot dead.”
After figuring out his plan to tackle armed violence, Mr. Biden asked, “What will Congress do?
The massacre of Uvalde provoked a swift action by the Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee, which met on Thursday and, after a marathon hearing, advanced a package of bills called “Law to Protect Our Children “that would tighten the country’s gun laws. The action of the full House could arrive as early as next week, although it has a high probability of being approved in the Senate 50-50, where 60 votes are needed for the legislation to be approved.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also told her fellow Democrats in a letter Thursday that after returning from a two-week hiatus, the lower house will vote next week on legislation that would implement an extreme risk law. the whole country. The House will also hold a hearing on an assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004, he said.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of senators has met to discuss common ground on gun legislation. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut confirmed Monday that they are moving forward as they work out details of the revised “red flag” legislation that they hope both can get enough GOP support to overcome. an obstructionism in the Senate.
Mr Biden said he supported bipartisan efforts in the Senate to change the nation’s arms laws, but blamed the upper house for taking action.
“This time, we need to take the time to do something, and this time, it’s time for the Senate to do something,” he said, adding, “My God, the fact that most Republicans in the Senate don’t want “Any of these proposals, even for debate or for a vote, I find inconceivable. We cannot fail the American people again.”