The Biden administration on Friday introduced the creation of the first-ever White Home Workplace of Gun Violence Prevention to assist handle the systemic subject of gun violence in America.
The brand new workplace can be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris and goals to coordinate efforts throughout federal companies to advance and implement gun security measures.
“Each time I’ve met with households impacted by gun violence as they mourn their family members, and I’ve met with so many all through the nation, all of them have the identical message for his or her elected officers: ‘do one thing,’” President Biden mentioned in a press release. “That’s why I’m saying extra steps ahead.”
Biden’s announcement comes amid a surge in gun violence lately. In 2023 alone, 506 mass shootings have already occurred in the US, in accordance with the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass capturing as an incident the place 4 or extra individuals are injured or killed.
Since Biden took workplace, gun violence prevention teams have implored the White Home to create an workplace like this. They argued {that a} designated workplace would assist coordinate efforts throughout the federal authorities to cut back gun violence.
Friday’s announcement is simply the most recent instance of the Biden administration’s efforts to handle gun violence in the US.
Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into legislation in 2022, essentially the most vital gun violence prevention laws in practically 30 years. Republican opposition has prevented additional laws, however the president has issued dozens of govt actions to try to maintain harmful weapons and repeat shooters off the streets, maintain rogue gun sellers and gun traffickers accountable, and extra.
Most not too long ago, the Justice Division’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives proposed a rule to cut back the variety of weapons offered with out background checks.
In saying the workplace on Friday, Biden additionally reiterated his name for Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and require protected storage of firearms.
Biden additionally known as on Congress to move his Safer America Plan, which invests in gun violence prevention and intervention, in addition to modernizing expertise and knowledge methods to make sure that the justice system runs effectively and with essentially the most present knowledge.
Shannon Watts, founder emerita of Mothers Demand Motion, a gaggle working to cease gun violence, advised The Washington Publish that the creation of an Workplace of Gun Violence Prevention is “a big turning level” for the gun security motion.
“This new, single level of management on gun violence within the administration is a really huge deal for the gun security motion,” she added on Twitter. “For years, activists and survivors have advocated for a centralized workforce devoted to coordinating federal and state assets and mobilizing motion companions.”
