FILE – President Joe Biden speaks during an event to celebrate the passage of the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” a law meant to reduce gun violence, on the South Lawn of the White House, July 11, 2022, in Washington. Biden will visit the Middle East this week at a time when the region is experiencing dramatic changes and struggling to address deep problems. He’ll become the first U.S. president to travel directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia, a reflection of closer ties between the Jewish state and its Arab neighbors. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
OAN NEWSROOM
UPDATED 1:04 PM PT – Tuesday, July 12, 2022
The White House held an event touting its efforts to significantly tighten gun control laws. President Joe Biden celebrated increased restrictions on the Second Amendment while signing bipartisan legislation, which narrowly passed through Congress
While speaking on the White House Lawn on Monday, Biden praised his signing of a gun control bill, which tightens background checks for anyone under the age of 21. The move came after the US recently bore witness to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
“This new law requiring requires young people under 21 to go into enhanced background checks before purchasing a gun,” Biden stated. “How many more mass shootings do we have to see where a shooter is 17, 18-years-old and able to get his hands on a weapon and go on a killing spree? You know, it closes the so-called boyfriend loophole.”
Additionally, he claimed to be a supporter of the Second Amendment, despite making past statements about the amendment not being absolute. Biden also justified his actions by citing a report from the CDC, saying gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the US. Critics have pointed out flaws in the assessment, noting it doesn’t discriminate between different age groups
When guns are the number one killer of America’s children – yes, you read that right – then we can’t just stand by and let it happen any longer. Today, we took action. pic.twitter.com/mP5LahMTQ1
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 12, 2022
Biden then went on to encourage an assault weapons ban while also calling on Congress to pass legislation making gun owners liable if they don’t secure their firearms in their homes.
“I’m not going to stop until we do it,” he stated. “We should have safe storage laws requiring personal liability for not locking up your gun…responsible gun owners agree no one else should have access to it. So lock it up. Have trigger locks. And if you don’t and something bad happens, you should be held responsible.”
The action we take today on gun violence is a step designed to make our nation the kind of nation it should be.
It’s about the most fundamental things: the lives of our children and our loved ones. pic.twitter.com/GRL2KhBDcA
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 11, 2022