Biden says he'll renew push for assault weapons ban following spate of mass shootings

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Thursday helium would marque a renewed effort to enact a prohibition connected assault-style rifles following a question of wide shootings that person again enactment a spotlight connected the nation's weapon power laws.

Speaking to reporters during a sojourn to a occurrence presumption connected Thanksgiving morning, the president reiterated his longstanding statement that specified weapons are a societal menace and should not beryllium sold.

"The thought that we inactive let semi-automatic weapons to beryllium purchased is sick," helium said portion greeting firefighters successful Nantucket, wherever helium and his household are spending the Thanksgiving holiday. "It has no, nary societal redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a azygous solitary rationale for it but nett for the weapon manufacturers."

Congress has proved reluctant to outlaw AR-15s and different assault-style guns. The Democratic-controlled House passed a prohibition successful July, successful a ballot mostly on enactment lines. But the measure stands small accidental of advancing successful the Senate, wherever 10 Republicans would request to articulation a unified Democratic caucus to interruption a filibuster.

Biden was asked if helium mightiness property for a prohibition successful the legislature lame duck session, erstwhile outgoing lawmakers who aren't facing different predetermination mightiness consciousness freer to interruption with basal voters and the well-funded weapon lobby.

 "I'm going to try," Biden said. "I'm going to bash it whenever I ..." helium continued. "I got to marque that appraisal arsenic I get successful and commencement counting the votes."

Senate Republican person Mitch McConnell's bureau did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Biden's remarks came 2 days aft a nighttime manager astatine a Walmart store successful Virginia opened occurrence connected his co-workers, killing six and leaving astatine slightest a fractional twelve others wounded. The shooter, identified arsenic 31-year-old Andre Bing, took his ain life. Authorities said helium utilized a handgun successful the attack.

Mass shootings person been taking spot with chilling frequency. On Saturday, a gunman killed 5 people and injured much than 2 twelve others astatine Club Q, a LGBTQ nine successful Colorado Springs. Patrons prevented much deaths by confronting and disarming the suspect, identified by officials arsenic Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22. The limb utilized was successful the benignant of a Colt AR-15, according to Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez.

The president and archetypal woman Jill Biden connected Thursday phoned Club Q's owners, according to the White House. They told the 2 owners, Nic Grzecka and Matthew Haynes, that they are committed to combatting "hate and weapon violence," the White House said.

Biden has a agelong past with the up-and-down efforts to prohibit the merchantability of assault-style weapons. As a legislator from Delaware successful 1994, helium helped usher successful an battle weapons prohibition that was credited with curbing deaths from wide shootings. The prohibition expired 10 years aboriginal during the medication of President George W. Bush and was ne'er renewed.

Biden promised during his 2020 run to outlaw the merchantability and manufacture of battle weapons, and successful a televised municipality hallway lawsuit past month, reiterated that helium would marque bully connected that pledge.

"By the way, I'm going to get an battle weapons ban," the president told CNN. "Before this is over, I'm going to get that again. Not a joke, and watch."

With Republicans acceptable to instrumentality power of the House successful 2023, the year-end lame duck league whitethorn beryllium a last accidental for Biden to fulfill his extremity earlier the 2024 statesmanlike election.

"I'm going to effort and get escaped of battle weapons," Biden said astatine the occurrence station.

The archetypal household returned to the Massachusetts land successful a contented that started decades agone erstwhile Joe and Jill Biden were inactive dating.

The president and the archetypal woman delivered pumpkin pies to the firefighters successful Nantucket, accompanied by their grandson, Beau, who was fixed a tiny occurrence helmet to wear.

They also called into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City, offering their acknowledgment to firefighters and work members, and said their time would beryllium a quiescent one.

"We're conscionable going to person meal with the family, astir apt instrumentality a locomotion connected the beach, and conscionable consciousness gratitude for our family," Jill Biden said.

Peter Nicholas is simply a elder nationalist governmental newsman for NBC News.