“The pain is palpable,” she said as she described her meetings with the community ahead of a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the oval office.
“No one left … until I talked to everyone in this room. Everyone. They waited until the end,” Biden added.
The president said he and Ardern would talk about online violence and extremism during their meeting. New Zealand has voted bipartisan to change its gun laws following a mass shooting live in Christchurch in 2019, and Ardern has been at the forefront of efforts to crack down on online extremism.
“I want to work with you on this effort and I want to talk to you about what those conversations were like, if you’re willing,” he told her.
“Our experience, of course, in this regard is ours. But if there is something we can share of any value, we are here to share it,” he said later.
Biden said he would meet with members of Congress on the possibility of a weapons reform as members begin to meet to find a possible legislative response to the Uvalde tragedy. The president has acknowledged that he can do little without the support of Republicans in Congress to stop the mass shootings, which are happening at an alarming rate in the United States.
“Much can be prevented and the devastation is staggering,” Biden said Tuesday.
A small bipartisan group of senators will meet on Tuesday to explore possible common ground on gun reform. Lawmakers are under intense pressure to take action after the horrific shooting, but for years there has been a stalemate over gun policy in Washington and Democratic efforts to reform gun laws have been repeatedly blocked by Republicans. and some moderate members of his own party. .
Some of the measures Democrats have called for include extended background check bills and red-flag laws, which may allow law enforcement or family members to seek a court order to temporarily withdraw weapons. of a person who is considered to be at significant risk of injury or harm. others for having a firearm. Biden has also called on Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
The president and first lady paid their respects on Sunday at a makeshift monument outside Robb Elementary School. They also met with local officials, paramedics, mental health service providers, firefighters and law enforcement. The Biden also attended Mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller invited children from the devastated community to sit in front of him.
The Justice Department has announced that it is conducting a review of law enforcement’s failed response to the shooting, which Texas officials have described as a point of wrong decisions.
CNN’s Morgan Rimmer and Clare Foran contributed to this report.