US President Joe Biden called on Republicans in the Senate Thursday evening (local time) to finally do something about gun violence in the United States. In a speech from the White House, Biden called it “unconscionable” that a majority of Republican senators do not support stricter gun laws.
Among other things, the president urged Congress to ban the sale of assault weapons to private individuals and to conduct more thorough pre-examination checks on Americans wishing to purchase a weapon. According to the Democrat, at least the minimum age at which Americans can buy a gun should be raised from 18 to 21. He also wants weapons suppliers to no longer be protected from prosecution if people commit violence with their weapons.
“Enough is enough. We cannot disappoint the American people again,” Biden said. “For God’s sake, how much more carnage are we willing to accept.”
Biden gave his speech following the shooting in Uvalde, Texas last week. Salvador Ramos, 18, shot and killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school. He had recently legally purchased two assault rifles and ammunition.
As Democratic presidential candidate, Biden pledged to enforce tougher gun laws to reduce the country’s tens of thousands of annual deaths from firearms. Biden and his party members, however, do not have enough votes for that in Congress. According to the president, this is partly due to the gun lobby, which is especially influential in rural, sparsely populated states. Those states, where gun ownership is rife, have disproportionate representation in the U.S. Senate, where a majority of 60 out of 100 votes is needed to pass most legislation.