(CNN) President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared together at the White House on Thursday for an event on reducing gun violence. On this issue, they are touting the administration’s successes and slamming the Republican ticket.
“If we want to talk about reducing crime and violence in America, we have to talk about guns in America,” Biden said before signing a new executive order overhauling active shooter training in schools. We are clarifying this together.” Other things. “Last year, after another school shooting, my predecessor said, as many members of Congress have said, ‘Just get over it.'”
Alluding to Sen. J.D. Vance’s comments earlier this month that school shootings have become a “real fact,” Biden said, “Who the hell do these people think they are? What?” he said.
Harris was leaning into a message of rights and freedoms that has been part of her campaign rhetoric.
“I believe the right to be safe is a civil right,” Harris told the room. “And Americans have the right to live, work, worship, and learn without fear of violence, including gun violence. Yet our nation is experiencing an epidemic of gun violence. .”
The Democratic candidate acknowledged being a gun owner and criticized the “false choice” between preventing further massacres and respecting the Second Amendment.
Harris then said, “I support the Second Amendment and believe we need to reinstate the assault weapons ban and enact universal background checks, safe custody laws, and red flag laws.” “There is,” he added.
Mr. Biden touted the steps his administration has taken, including the Bipartisan Safe Areas Act of 2022 and $15 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan that would sharply increase funding for law enforcement, and Mr. Harris pointed out.
“And a lot of these cases were because we had top-notch prosecutors who had extensive experience dealing with these matters,” he added, alluding to Harris. “She felt pretty fired up when the other guy told her that we weren’t cooperating and that we were the ones funding the police.”
In addition to overhauling school active shooter training, the executive order signed by Biden aims to address the threat posed by emerging gun technologies such as 3D-printed guns and ghost guns.
A special committee will also assess the risks posed by “machine gun converters” that can turn regular semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic firearms, as well as unserialized printed firearms that can be 3D printed from available computer code. will also be established. online.
Also on hand was Randall Woodfin, the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, whose son was killed in a 2012 shooting in which police said a gun with a converter switch was used in the weekend shooting. Georgia Congresswoman Lucy McBath was also on hand. Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was injured in a shooting in a supermarket parking lot in 2011.
Biden warned that all efforts to tighten gun control could be undone if Republicans win the White House or Congress in November, while Harris urged lawmakers to fight gun violence. He called for further action to be taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We need more leaders like the ones in this room in Congress who have the courage to take action, stand up to gun control advocates, and put the lives of our children first,” she said. .
