In the aftermath of a shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina, President Joe Biden urged Congress on Friday to impose a ban on assault-style firearms, calling it a “commonsense move to get weapons of war off our streets.”
“For the lives, we’ve lost and the lives we can save, I took historic action to end gun violence in our country, including signing the most substantial gun safety bill in almost 30 years,” Biden said in a statement Friday, referring to a bipartisan gun safety package approved in June.
“However, we must do more. We need to outlaw assault weapons.” Biden stated that the shooting in North Carolina, in which at least five people were murdered and dozens were injured, is only the latest in a series of mass shootings that have shaken the country this year, from Uvalde, Texas, to Buffalo, New York.
“Enough,” he said. “We have wept and prayed with far too many families who have had to endure the dreadful weight of these horrific murders.” Too many families have lost husbands, parents, and children permanently.”
In late July, the House enacted a ban on assault-style weapons, primarily along party lines. However, the plan would meet opposition in the Senate, where a 60-vote barrier would be problematic for Democrats with a slim majority.
