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The Biden-Harris administration and members of Congress continue to address the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. and remain optimistic that they will be able to pass gun reform legislation.
In recent years, the U.S. has seen gun violence erupt in cities like Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Oakland, California, sometimes claiming the lives of innocent bystanders and young children. Americans have also seen an uptick in mass shootings, which have occurred in unconventional spaces.
President Joe Biden recently spoke with voters while campaigning in New York and said that over the course of his presidency, he has met with victims of gun violence and emphasized the importance of protecting American lives.
Over the years, members of Congress have introduced legislation that could help prevent gun violence across the country, however, the proposed statutes fail to garner bipartisan support.
On March 20, U.S. Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the Destroy Zombie Guns Act, which, if enacted into law would close a loophole that has permitted gun disposal companies to destroy just one part of a firearm before reselling the remaining portions, which the lawmakers fear could find its way into the wrong hands.“
In 2023, U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) introduced the Raise the Age Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, which if enacted into law would forbid any licensed gun dealer from selling a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun to a customer under the age of 21.
“Some of the most horrific and heartbreaking mass shootings in our history were committed by 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds using assault weapons, including the massacres at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in 2012, at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2018, and at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999,” said Ivey.
While some politicians push forward to find solutions to legal challenges and the underlying causes of gun violence in the U.S., they are also taking issue with the U.S. Supreme Court for rolling back protections that could prevent the next mass shooting.
Although the high court upheld a ban to keep firearms away from domestic abusers in U.S. v. Rahimi, the majority-conservative court also reversed a ban on bump stocks in Garland v. Carrillo last month.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court rulings, both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have vowed to pass tougher gun legislation if re-elected.
“Americans should not have to live in fear of this mass devastation,” said Biden. “I call on Congress to ban bump stocks, pass an assault weapon ban, and take additional action to save lives – send me a bill, and I will sign it immediately.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is ready to answer Biden’s call and is enlisting the help of his Republican colleagues.
“Weapons of war have no place in a civilized society,” said Jeffries. “It’s time for extreme MAGA Republicans to join us in the fight to achieve com
