President Joe Biden on Monday reiterated his call for Congress to take action on gun control following a shooting in Nashville at an elementary school.
“The shooter in this situation reportedly had two assault weapons and a pistol — two AK-47s. So I call on Congress again to pass my assault-weapons ban. It’s about time that we began to make some more progress,” the president said.
Biden’s remarks came during the start of his speech at a White House event, the second annual Women’s Business Summit.
Police said a shooter killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville.
Before Biden’s comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president would be reiterating his call for Congress to take action on gun control after the Nashville shooting.
“How many more children have to be murdered before Republicans in Congress will step up and act to pass the assault-weapons ban, to close loopholes in our background-check system, or to require the safe storage of guns?” Jean-Pierre told reporters during a briefing on Monday.
“We need to do something. Once again, the president calls on Congress to do something before another child is senselessly killed in a preventable act of gun violence.”
First lady Jill Biden commented on the shooting as well, saying: “Our children deserve better, and we stand — all of us — we stand with Nashville in prayer.”
Biden has often urged U.S. lawmakers to enact new gun-control laws and referred to a 10-year federal ban on assault weapons that he helped negotiate — which expired in 2004.
Analysts have said gun-control bills face a tough road in Congress, given issues like the narrowly divided Senate’s filibuster rule, in which 60 votes are required to end debate on most items.
