President Biden said the federal government plans to knock down and rebuild the shooting-ravaged Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, according to a Democratic state lawmaker.
Sen. Roland Gutierrez told San Antonio TV station KSAT over the weekend that Mr. Biden told him “we’re going to look to raze” the small-town school and “build a new one.”
The conversation occurred during a visit by Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden Sunday to a memorial for the 19 schoolchildren and two teachers killed by an 18-year-old armed with an AR-15.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Gutierrez and his Democratic colleagues have demanded that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, immediately strengthen gun controls and convene the legislature for an emergency special session.
Mr. Abbott has rebuffed such calls, including those for more regulations, and instead said mental health is to blame over Americans’ access to firearms.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Mr. Biden vowed to continue pushing Congress to enact stricter controls.
He received swift condemnation over an apparent gaffe about the different bullet sizes used by handguns vs. assault rifles. Critics said it sounded like he was calling for a ban on 9mm ammunition commonly used in ordinary pistols.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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