Joe Biden’s address focused on banning “assault weapons.“
QUICK FACTS:
- Joe Biden addressed the nation Thursday evening using the evening address to talk about gun control, according to The Hill.
- Biden urged Congress to send him legislation that would ban “assault weapons” as a response to the shootings in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and, this week, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- The president spoke about the legislative restrictions and responses proposed by Democrats that Republicans have held firm against.
- Among their ideas are background checks, a federal “red flag” law, raising the legal age from 18 to 21 to buy weapons, federal support for tougher school security, and more funding for mental health assistance.
- The House Judiciary Committee has begun considering several gun restriction measures, including an “assault weapons” ban.
EXCERPTS OF BIDEN’S ADDRESS:
- “Enough, enough,” Biden repeated as he stood amid two lines of burning white candles to represent victims of recent shooting sprees. “The question now is, what will the Congress do?”
- “My God! The fact that a majority of the Senate Republicans don’t want any of these proposals even to be debated or to come up for a vote, I find unconscionable,” Biden said after offering support for bipartisan talks in the Senate.
- “I’ll never give up, and If Congress fails, I believe this time a majority of the American people won’t give up, either,” he continued. “I believe a majority of you will act to turn your outrage into making this issue central to your vote. Enough, enough, enough.”
BACKGROUND:
- While Biden called upon lawmakers for bipartisan support regarding legislation regarding gun restrictions, some Republicans believe it’s Democrats who need to reach across the political aisle to reach a solution.
- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) reacted to Biden’s speech during an appearance on Fox News, saying that Republicans have already proposed legislation to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally.
- According to Cruz, “Democrats cynically said, if we can’t disarm law-abiding citizens, we, the Democrats, are not willing to do anything to secure schools.”
