Biden defends his gun reform strategy
"No one has worked harder to deal with the violence by individuals using weapons than I have,” Biden said.
President Joe Biden on Friday defended his push for Congress to take action on gun legislation, saying he can work on guns and other legislative priorities at the same time.
“I’ve never not prioritized this. No one has worked harder to deal with the violence by individuals using weapons than I have,” Biden said Friday alongside Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at a Rose Garden press conference.
Following a shooting at an Indianapolis FedEx facility Thursday that left eight people dead, the latest in a recent wave of mass shootings, Biden was asked if he felt he needed to re-prioritize his agenda, which includes a massive infrastructure package.
“It doesn't mean that I can't also be working at the same time on the economy and on Covid,” Biden said Friday. “But it’s not a question of my being able to set the agenda in the Senate as to what they will move to first.”
Biden has taken a number of executive actions on guns, including attempting to rein in "ghost guns" and releasing "model" red flag law legislation, but none of the orders has gone as far as the House-passed legislation he has called for.
On Friday, Biden reiterated his call for Congress to “step up” and take action on House-passed gun legislation after Thursday's shooting. He specifically called out Republicans, urging them to take action on what he again called a “national embarrassment” of gun violence.
Biden has called for the Senate to move on legislation that attempts to close the “Charleston loophole,” adds universal background checks and would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. Biden also renewed his call for a federal assault weapons ban Friday.
“Who in God's name needs a weapon that can hold 100 rounds or 40 rounds or 20 rounds? It's just wrong, and I'm not going to give up til it's done,” Biden said.