Biden slams Republicans for ‘doing whatever gun makers bid’ as he demands Congress take action to protect Americans from guns on the anniversary of the Buffalo massacre
- Biden said 40,000 people have been killed by guns in the year since the supermarket attack
- “Congress must act, including by banning assault weapons,” the op-ed wrote
- And he said a majority of Americans wanted action on gun control
President Joe Biden on Sunday denounced Republicans for caring more about gun makers than their constituents as he again called on Congress to pass gun control legislation.
He marked the anniversary of the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York with a passionate call to ban assault weapons and require gun owners to secure their firearms.
“The majority of Americans — even the majority of gun owners — want Congress to take sensible steps to reduce gun violence,” he wrote in an op-ed published by USA today.
“But too many Republicans in Congress are doing the bidding for gun manufacturers instead of their constituents.”
The city of Buffalo marks the attack with a moment of silence in memory of the 10 people killed when a gunman attacked black people in a convenience store.
President Joe Biden on Sunday denounced Republicans for caring more about gun makers than their constituents as he again called on Congress to pass gun control legislation
Biden made the demand as he marked the anniversary of a mass shooting at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, that killed 10 people
Then the bells ring.
“The racially motivated mass shooting shook our community to its very foundations. It was the day the unthinkable happened,” Mayor Byron Brown said in announcing plans for the memorial.
Biden pointed out that the killings were followed 10 days later by an attack on a school in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were shot dead.
“Jill and I visited both communities and spent hours with hundreds of family members who lost pieces of their souls and whose lives will never be the same again,” he wrote.
“They had one message for all of us: do something. For God’s sake, do something.’
In their aftermath, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It strengthens firearms background checks for youths and expands the use of red flag laws.
But more is needed, Biden wrote, noting that the toll since Buffalo last year included 650 mass shootings and more than 40,000 deaths from gun violence.
The City of Buffalo marks the attack with a moment of silence in memory of the 10 people killed when a gunman attacked black people at a convenience store
Payton Gendron (pictured being led into a Gendron courtroom last year) was sentenced to life in prison for the Buffalo attack. “I did something terrible that day. I shot and killed people because they were black,” he said at his sentencing in February
“Congress must act, including by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, requiring gun owners to store their firearms securely, requiring background checks for all gun sales, and repealing gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability,” he wrote.
“We also need more governors and state legislators to take these steps.”
The White House sent out a fact sheet detailing the Biden administration’s actions.
They include enhanced background checks, particularly for those under 21; add dating relationship status in domestic violence cases to prevent guns from falling into the hands of people with a history of abuse; and more prosecutions for gun trafficking and gun purchases for people who aren’t allowed to buy guns.