President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for a ban on assault weapons and tighter gun control measures the day after police say a gunman opened fire on a Colorado supermarket, killing 10 people.
“I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future,” Biden said, urging his “colleagues in the House and Senate to act.”
“We can ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines in this country, once again,” he said.
The president specifically called for closing loopholes in the U.S. background check system.
“That’s one of the best tools we have right now, to prevent gun violence,” he said.
Biden addressed the nation from the White House Tuesday, before traveling to Ohio, where he’ll mark the 11th anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act.
Biden said that the mass shooting in Colorado took place “while the flag was still flying half staff” for the series of shootings at three spa businesses in the Atlanta area, which left eight dead. Six of the victims were Asian women.
“This is not and should not be a partisan issue,” Biden said about tighter gun control measures on Tuesday. “It’s an American issue that will save lives, American lives. We have to act.”
Biden, who took office in January, faces an uphill battle in winning congressional approval for gun-related measures he pledged during his presidential campaign.
The House on March 11 passed two bills that would broaden background checks for gun buyers, but the legislation faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
Most legislation requires 60 votes in the 100-seat chamber to move forward. With the Senate divided, reaching that threshold appears difficult.❐
