The White House is taking action against gun violence by establishing a dedicated office for this purpose. In an announcement on Wednesday, the Biden administration revealed plans for the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. According to officials, this office will focus on implementing existing laws and collaborating with local authorities to pass gun safety legislation at the state level. Vice President Kamala Harris has been appointed to oversee this new office, which will also benefit from the input of gun safety advocates joining the administration.
In his announcement, President Joe Biden stated, “I’ll continue to urge Congress to take commonsense actions that the majority of Americans support.” He emphasized the importance of measures such as universal background checks and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. However, in the absence of immediate action from Congress, Biden affirmed that the new office will do everything in its power to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is devastating families, communities, and the country. The office’s initial focus will be on enforcing a bipartisan gun safety law enacted at the federal level after the Uvalde, Texas mass shooting.
Stefanie Feldman, a longstanding policy adviser to President Biden, will serve as the director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. She will be supported by two deputy directors: Greg Jackson, a gun violence survivor and the leader of the Community Justice Action Fund, an organization dedicated to reducing gun violence in Black and brown communities, and Rob Wilcox, a former senior director at Everytown for Gun Safety who tragically lost a cousin to gun violence. Vice President Harris emphasized the urgent need for leadership on the issue of gun violence, stating, “We know true freedom is not possible if people are not safe. … We do not have a moment, nor a life, to spare.”
Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, a gun control advocacy group, expressed cautious optimism about the plan. She acknowledged that the creation of a central point of leadership for gun violence in the administration would have significant implications for the movement. However, conservative groups and gun rights advocates, including the NRA, are expected to strongly oppose gun safety measures, viewing them as infringements on Second Amendment rights. More details about the new office will be shared by Biden and Harris in their remarks from the Rose Garden on Friday afternoon at 2:45pm ET. (Read more gun violence stories.)
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
