By Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden on Friday pledged to fight for gun safety laws in the United States while unveiling a new White House office of gun violence prevention.
THE TAKE
Vice President Kamala Harris will oversee the office, taking on an issue that is critical to her and Biden’s political base. The president’s 2024 re-election campaign is expected to focus heavily on efforts to reduce gun violence.
KEY QUOTE
“After every mass shooting, we hear a simple message… do something, do something,” Biden said. “My administration has been working relentlessly to do something.”
Before the event, Congresswoman Lucy McBath described to reporters the day her teenage son was shot, saying “nobody wants to experience what I have. But my experience has become far too common.”
CONTEXT
Gun violence kills tens of thousands of people a year in the United States, or more than 100 people a day, according to advocates. A majority of Americans would like to see stricter gun laws, according to the Pew Research Center.
The White House announced the new office on Thursday and said it would implement existing laws and work with local authorities to pass gun safety legislation at the state level.
Democrats largely favor stricter gun laws as a way to reduce deaths from gun violence at schools and in cities across the country.
Republicans, with the support of the National Rifle Association, a gun rights group, largely oppose stricter laws, citing the right to bear arms established in the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; additional reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
