“Time is of the essence. Lives will be saved,” he said in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Citing the families of the shooting victims he has met, the president said, “His message to us was,“ Do something. ”How many times have we heard that?” Just do something. For God’s sake, do something. “We did it today.”
President Joe Biden signs Bill S. 2938, the bipartisan Safer Communities Act on gun safety, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Saturday, June 25, 2022. First Lady Jill Biden look to the right. (Photo AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
“Today we say, ‘More than enough,'” Biden said, “it’s time, when it seems impossible to do anything in Washington, we’re doing something consistent.”
The legislation will tighten background checks on younger gun buyers, prevent firearms from more domestic violence offenders, and help states establish red-flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people considered dangerous.
The president called it a “historic achievement.”
Most of its $ 13 billion cost will help bolster mental health programs and aid schools, which have been targeted in Newtown, Connecticut and Parkland, Florida, and elsewhere in mass shootings.
President Joe Biden signs Law S. 2938, the Arms Security Act of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Biden said the commitment made by a bipartisan group of senators from both parties “does not do everything I want,” but “includes actions I have called for for a long time and that will save lives.”
“I know there’s a lot more work to do, and I’ll never give up, but this is a monumental day,” said the president, who was accompanied by his wife, Jill, a teacher, for the signing.
After sitting down to sign the bill, Biden sat thoughtfully for a moment and then murmured, “If God wills, this will save many lives.”
He also said they will host an event on July 11 for lawmakers and families affected by armed violence.
The president spoke of “families who lost their souls due to an epidemic of armed violence. They lost their son, their husband, their wife. Nothing will fill this void in their hearts. But they opened the way for other families not to have the experience and the pain and trauma they had to go through. “
President Joe Biden speaks before signing Bill S. 2938, the bipartisan Safe Securities Communities Weapons Security Act, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Saturday, June 25, 2022. The first lady, Jill Biden, listens to the right. (Photo AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
“Yesterday I talked about the shocking Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade,” Biden said.
“Jill and I know how painful and devastating the decision is for so many Americans. I mean so many Americans.”
He noted that the ruling on abortion leaves the application to states, some of which have already moved to ban abortion or will do so soon. Biden said his administration “will focus on how they administer it and whether or not they violate other laws, such as deciding not to allow people to cross state borders for health services.”
Asked by reporters about whether the Supreme Court broke up, Biden said, “I think the Supreme Court has made terrible decisions.” He walked away without answering any more questions and pointed out, “I have a helicopter waiting for me to take off.”
While the new gun law does not include tougher restrictions long defended by Democrats, such as a ban on assault-style weapons and background checks for all firearm transactions. , is the most shocking measure of armed violence produced by Congress since the enactment of a long-overdue assault. arms ban in 1993.
Enough Republicans in Congress joined Democrats to support the steps following the recent attacks in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas. It took weeks of closed-door talks, but senators came up with a compromise.
Biden signed the bill just before leaving Washington for a summit of the Group of Seven major economic powers (United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan) in Germany. He will later travel to Spain for a NATO meeting.