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President Joe Biden addressed the nation in a prime-time message from the White House, in which he placed on his country’s Parliament the weight of the urgency of measures to stop the mass shootings that have produced dozens of fatalities just this year and presented concrete proposals that could contribute to reducing armed violence.
The first US president, Joe Biden, invited legislators to take urgent measures for gun control and background checks for buyers and, for voters, to charge them in the mid-term elections if they do not fulfill their task.
“I know it’s hard, but I won’t give up, and if Congress fails us, this time I think a majority of Americans won’t give up either. I think most of you will act to use your outrage to make this issue central.” of your vote,” he argued in a message that was broadcast by all the major networks.
Biden has argued that any action taken by Congress will have more lasting weight than the executive order that many anti-gun violence activists are calling for.
Emotional words to put the pressure on Parliament
“How many more massacres are we willing to accept?” Biden demanded in his emotional speech. “This time we should take the time to do something?”.
Biden reiterated his call to restore the ban on the sale of assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, but added that should these initiatives fail, an intermediate pact could approve psychiatric background checks to keep guns away from those who are not mentally challenged. fit to carry them, and raise the age to buy assault rifles from 18 to 21 years.
“I know some would say 18 is enough to go into the Army and shoot those same assault weapons, but that’s done with training and supervision by the best-trained experts in the world. Don’t tell me raising the age won’t make a difference. Enough.” Biden argued.
Efforts at various levels but little expectation of success
The calls by Biden, who assured that classrooms have become “extermination camps”, coincide with bipartisan negotiations in the Senate that aim to achieve minimal changes in the legislation on access to weapons, such as the increase in budget allocations for strengthen safety in schools and mental health care programs.
Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, the project ‘Protecting Our Children’ has begun to be discussed, which contains several of the restrictions proposed by the president in his speech.
However, although the president’s Democratic Party could count on support in the House to carry out the project, it is difficult for the Senate, divided 50-50, to make progress.
With AP and Reuters
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