US President Joe Biden renewed his demand to Congress for a ban on assault weapons and large-scale armories following a mass shooting in Texas on Saturday that left 8 people dead and 7 injured.
“This is not the first time that an attacker in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 assault rifle has shot innocent people in a mall,” Biden said in a statement. “An attack like this is too shocking to be familiar.”
He added: “Reliable estimates show that more than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives. The leading cause of death for American children is gun violence. Too many families have empty seats at dinner tables. Republican members of Congress can’t keep mocking this pandemic The idea of praying on Twitter is not enough.
Biden asked Congress to quickly send him a gun security bill and step up background checks on people who want to buy guns. “I will sign the law immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe,” he said.
Congress has stalled trying to ban assault weapons for more than a decade.
The measure was passed by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives in 2022 but rejected by the Senate. However, at least 10 states have banned assault weapons.
The US Assault Weapons Ban expired in 2004. It was originally passed in 1994 when Biden was a senator.
Source: axios
