President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to ban assault weapons and institute other gun restrictions on the third anniversary of the Parkland school shooting despite resistance from Republicans.
In a statement from the White House, Biden on Sunday asked Congress to pass laws requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that Biden is “personally committed” to taking action on the issue, though he didn’t provide a timetable on when the White House would unveil its proposal.
Democrats would need all 50 members in the Senate and 10 Republican lawmakers to overcome a legislative filibuster on a gun bill.
But things are in motion.
Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, in a statement confirmed that gun safety is a top priority for the administration, according to The Hill.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told the news outlet he plans to introduce legislation on background checks “in the upcoming weeks.”
"President Biden and his administration are clearly committed to signing commonsense gun violence prevention legislation into law and taking executive action to save lives and make our communities safer. Two years ago, we got pretty darn close to striking a bipartisan deal to expand background checks that I believe would have passed on the floor if [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell put it up for a vote," Murphy said.
Seventeen people were killed on Feb. 14, 2018, when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The gunman is still awaiting trial.
Fred Guttenberg, whose teenage daughter was murdered in the shooting, said the anniversary should add urgency for the administration to move forward on a plan that includes executive orders aimed at restricting access to firearms.
“This would be a really good moment to show Americans we’re going to do everything we can to not have another moment like that,” said Guttenberg, who developed a relationship with Biden after the Parkland tragedy.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.