President Biden on Tuesday doubled down on his calls for a ban on assault weapons as he pleaded with Congress to “do something” in the face of gun violence.
During his State of the Union address, Mr. Biden recognized Brandon Tsay, the California man credited for preventing the gunman responsible for the mass shooting at a Lunar New year celebration earlier this year from carrying out further attacks. The president urged lawmakers to do their part to help save lives by passing new gun restrictions.
“Two weeks ago, during Lunar New Year celebrations, he heard the studio’s front door close and saw a man pointing a gun at him,” Mr. Biden said. “In that instant, he found the courage to act and wrestled the semi-automatic pistol away from a gunman who had already killed 11 people at another dance studio.”
“He saved lives,” he said. “It’s time we do the same as well. Ban assault weapons now.”
Mr. Biden said his push for tighter gun regulations will continue despite his signing into law last year the nation’s first new gun control bill in decades.
The legislation, which expands background checks to include juvenile records and incentivizes states to adopt “red flag” laws, came in response to the waves of deadly mass shootings that have plagued the country in recent years including a racially fueled attack in May that killed 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York, and an attack less than two weeks later on a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers.
In addition to a ban on assault weapons, Mr. Biden is pushing for background checks for all gun sales and measures to require safe storage of firearms.
Further gun-control measures are likely to be met with stiff opposition from Republicans who are now in the majority in the House.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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