"Please, Do Something" Biden Urges US Congress to Enact Gun Control Measures

"For God’s sake, do something." U.S. President Joe Biden once again urged Congress to strengthen regulations, including tightening background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21, in response to a series of mass shootings.

In a USA Today op-ed on June 14 (local time), marking the first anniversary of the Buffalo, New York mass shooting, President Biden stated, "In the year since the Buffalo tragedy, there have been more than 650 mass shootings and over 40,000 deaths due to gun violence in the United States," adding, "We must do more."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

President Biden began by saying, "One year ago today, a man who posted a white supremacist manifesto at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killed 10 Black people and injured 3 others with a firearm. Ten days later, another gunman armed with a firearm killed 19 children and 2 teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas."

He said, "Jill (First Lady Jill Biden) and I visited both communities and spent time with hundreds of families who lost parts of their souls and whose lives will never be the same," emphasizing, "They all sent us one message: Do something. Please, do something." He continued, "I delivered their message to Washington and finally broke the deadlock in Congress," noting, "Congress passed the most significant gun safety legislation in about 30 years," and urged, "We must do more."

He also mentioned the recent shooting at a shopping mall in the Dallas suburbs of Texas. Earlier, a mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets north of Dallas shocked the nation when eight people, including a Korean-American couple and their child, were killed. President Biden expressed sorrow, saying, "America should not be a place where our children learn how to avoid and hide from shooters or how to find exits in movie theaters or restaurants," adding, "Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Along with this, President Biden emphasized that he has taken more action to prevent gun violence than any other president in history. He said, "I have taken more meaningful executive actions than any other president and will continue to pursue lawful and effective measures," but also noted, "My authority is never absolute." He argued that Congress must take action to stop gun violence.

President Biden stated, "Congress must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require gun owners to store firearms safely, mandate background checks for all gun sales, and repeal the liability protections for gun manufacturers," urging, "Governors and state legislatures must also step up, not just the federal Congress." He criticized the Republican Party for siding with gun manufacturers rather than voters, saying, "The majority of Americans, including many gun owners, want Congress to take symbolic steps to reduce gun violence."

Furthermore, President Biden stressed that three steps must be taken to build momentum from the bipartisan gun regulation law passed last June, the 'Safer Communities Act,' and to enable Congress to do more: full implementation of the law, additional measures, and building a larger and more persistent coalition to pass further gun safety legislation.

The White House and the Department of Justice plan to soon convene state legislators and governors to urge the enactment of laws that allow access to all possible records through a federal system when purchasing firearms under the age of 21. The Departments of Health and Human Services and Education are also developing new resources to address the impact of gun violence trauma on communities across the United States.

President Biden concluded by saying, "We cannot sit idly by and pass this problem on to the next generation," repeatedly urging Congress to "please, do something."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.