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President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law a legislation that marks some of the biggest changes to federal gun law in decades.
‘Lives will be saved,’ Biden said during the signing ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.
‘From Columbine to Sandy Hook to Charleston, Orlando, Las Vegas, Parkland, El Paso, Atlanta, Buffalo, Uvalde, and for the shootings that happen every day in the streets that are mass shootings, we don’t even hear about the number of people killed every day in the streets. Their message to us was to just something,’ the president said.
‘Today we did,’ he noted.
He conceded the legislation doesn’t have everything he wanted but ‘it does include actions I’ve long called for that are going to save lives.’
The president praised the bipartisan work on the issue.
‘It’s time when this seems impossible get anything done in Washington. We are doing something consequential,’ he said.
President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law a legislation that marks some of the biggest changes to federal gun law in decades.
First lady Jill Biden joined President Joe Biden when he signed the gun bill into law
Jill Biden kissed Joe Biden after he signed the new gun law
And he said both parties should come together to do more.
‘We can reach compromise on guns, we want to be able to reach compromise and other critical issues from veterans health care to cutting edge American innovation and so much more. I know there’s much more work to do. And I’m never going to give up. But this is a monumental day,’ Biden said.
Jill Biden was at his side for the signing. Biden said he and the first lady will hold a bigger event at the White House on July 11.
‘God willing, it’s going to save a lot of lives,’ Biden said after he finished signing the bill. Jill Biden gave him a kiss.
The new law comes in the wake of a spat of mass shootings including one at a grocery store in Buffalo where 10 black people were killed and one at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, where 17 children and two teachers died.
Biden signed the landmark legislation ahead of his departure for Europe, where he will attend the G7 and NATO summits, where he will focus keeping Western allies in lockstep in their support for the Ukraine and overcoming Turkey’s opposition to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden.
The signing came the day after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that made abortion legal in the country.
The bill was crafted by senators from both parties.
The legislation, which received bipartisan support in the House and Senate, will toughen background checks for younger gun buyers, bolster background check requirements and beef up penalties for gun traffickers.
The bill would also prohibit romantic partners convicted of domestic abuse who are not married to their victims from getting firearms.
Convicted abusers who are married to, live with or had children with their victims are already barred from having guns.
Additionally, $750million would be provided to the 19 states that have ‘red flag’ laws making it easier to temporarily take firearms from people adjudged dangerous, and to other states with violence prevention programs.
States with ‘red flag’ laws that receive the funds would have to have legal processes for the gun owner to fight the firearm’s removal.
The bill would disburse money to states and communities to improve school safety and mental health initiatives.
In a vote of 234 to 193, with the help of 14 Republicans, the House followed the Senate’s lead in green-lighting the bipartisan gun control package
The Senate voted 65 to 34 to end a Republican-led filibuster on the gun reform package, clearing another important hurdle. The Senate passed the bill later Thursday night
The House approved the legislation on Friday by a 234-193 vote with 14 Republicans supporting it: Reps. Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Tom Rice, John Katko, Maria Salazr, Chris Jacobs, Brian Fitzpatrick, Peter Meijer, Fred Upton, Steve Chabot, Mike Turner, David Joyce, Athony Gonzalez of Ohio and Tony Gonzalez.
The Senate passed it Thursday by bipartisan 65-33 margin. Republican senators voting in favor were Senators John Cornyn, Pat Toomey, Roy Blunt, Richard Burr, Shelley Moore Capito, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Joni Ernst, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman, Mitt Romney, Thom Tillis and Todd Young.
It did not have several items supported by President Biden and Democrats, including a ban on assault-type weapons and background checks for all gun transactions.
But it is the biggest gun measure passed by Congress since the now-expired assault weapons ban in 1993.
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