Key Takeaways:
- US President Joe Biden wants Congress to pass a bill that will immediately ban assault weapons
- The issue comes two days after eight people died in a mass shootout in a mall in Allan, Texas
- The Republican Party, which controls the House of Representatives, does not support tough gun laws
YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — US President Joe Biden renewed his call for a national ban on assault weapons and enforcement of gun safety measures following the recent shooting in a Texas mall. The incident, which left eight people killed, including the shooter,33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, has thrown the issue of gun violence back into the spotlight.
Biden, who ordered US flags lowered to half-staff “as a mark of respect for the victims,” repeated his call for lawmakers to take action against the gun “epidemic” in the country.
“Eight Americans- including children- were killed yesterday in the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation…An assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. We need more action, faster to save lives.”
Biden said in an official statement.
The Biden Administration has on several occasions requested the US Congress to pass a bill banning semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines. It has also asked for the legislature to be put in place that would require applicants to undergo universal background checks before getting a license. Safe gun storage and handling have also been big on President Biden’s agenda.
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Gun violence is a serious issue in the United States
have become a serious problem in the country. The US Constitution allows people to carry guns in self-defense. However, obtaining a gun is so easy that it often ends up in the wrong hands.
Gun-related deaths have soared in the US in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in 2021 alone.
Of this number, 54% were suicides (26,328), while 43% were murders (20,958). The remaining gun deaths that year were accidental (549), involved law enforcement (537), or had undetermined circumstances (458), Pew Research Centre wrote.
However, mass shootings are perhaps the biggest gun-related problem in America. Data from Gun Violence Archive suggests cases of mass shootings in the US increased from 336 in 2018 to 690 in 2021.
Last year there was a slight drop, with 647 cases registered. However, the year has started badly again. President Biden said, “American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year.”
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Joe Biden wants a ban on assault weapons “immediately”
Banning assault weapons has become a strongly-contested issue in the United States. Not only are American citizens divided on the topic, but it is also an issue that Democrats and Republicans cannot see eye to eye.
The Republican party, which controls the House of Representatives in the US Congress, has been unwilling to support gun restrictions. Despite the efforts of Joe Biden and his party colleagues, the opposition believes controls would violate the Second Amendment.
However, the Biden Administration is adamant about passing the law banning guns as soon as possible.
“Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines… I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe,”
Biden insisted.
According to the US President, gun violence is a pressing issue and has become the “leading cause of death for American kids.”
Meanwhile, the Republican lawmakers are well aware that many conservative Americans consider their right to own guns “sacred.” So siding with the Democrats to support tighter gun laws could cost them dearly during elections.
The US President will meet House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other majority and minority leaders of the House and the Senate on May 9, 2023. While they will discuss the debt ceiling crisis, maybe Joe Biden can encourage them to support his gun control ambitions.
