Photo: The Canadian Press
President Joe Biden signs Bill S. 2938, the bipartisan Safe Securities Communities Weapons Security Bill, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Saturday, June 25, 2022.
President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the broadest armed violence bill in decades, a bipartisan compromise that seemed unimaginable until a recent series of mass shootings, including the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at a Texas elementary school.
“Lives will be saved,” he told the White House. Citing the families of the victims of the shooting, the president said, “His message to us was to do something. Well today we did.”
The House gave final approval on Friday, following Senate approval Thursday, and Biden acted just before leaving Washington for two summits in Europe.
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.
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.
Biden said the commitment made by a bipartisan group of senators “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 has been accompanied by his wife, Jill, a teacher, for the signing.
He said they will host an event on July 11 for lawmakers and families affected by armed violence.
Biden signed the measure two days after the Supreme Court ruling overturning a New York law that limited people’s ability to carry concealed weapons.
While the new law does not include tougher restrictions long defended by Democrats, such as banning assault-style weapons and background checks for all firearm transactions, it is the most shocking measure of gun violence produced by Congress since the enactment of long-expired assault weapons. 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.