Biden renews calls for Congress to pass 'my assault weapon ban' trends now
President Biden renewed pressure on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban after a Nashville woman carrying two semi-automatic rifles killed six at an elementary school.
Biden opened his remarks at the Small Business Association Women's Summit joking about how his sister Valerie is smarter than him and talking about his love of chocolate chip ice cream before he struck a more serious tone to address the mass shooting.
'I came down because I heard there was chocolate chip ice cream,' Biden opened.
'You know, it's pretty dull when you've been in public life as long as I have and you're known for two things: chocolate chip ice cream, and Ray-Ban sunglasses, but what the hell.'
'You know, Ben and I've been doing this our whole careers it seems and it's just sick,' Biden then said, referring to Small Business Committee chair Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., who was in the audience.
'It's ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul this nation ripped at the very soul of the nation. And we have to do more to protect our schools so they aren't turned into prisons.'
He noted that the 28-year-old shooter was reportedly carrying two assault weapons and a pistol.
'You know, Ben and I've been doing this our whole careers it seems and it's just sick,' Biden said, referring to Small Business Committee chair Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.
'So I call on Congress again to pass my assault weapons ban. It's about time that we began to make some more progress but there's more to learn.'
Biden then referenced his son Beau who died of brain cancer in 2015, noting that now school teachers and students - like service members - must be suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.
'These children, these teachers, we should be focusing on their mental health as well.'
The White House said 'enough is enough' after the latest mass shooting at an American school – this time at an elementary school outside Nashville.
'What we’re seeing at schools and communities across this country is unacceptable,' said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
'What we saw today is devastating, is heartbreaking for any American,' she added, noting that President Joe Biden will address the shooting during prescheduled remarks later Monday afternoon.
She called the news 'devastating' and 'heartbreaking for any American,' but didn't provide concrete information on any new executive orders President Biden might be planning. She made repeated reference to stalled legislative proposals in Congress.
Her official response was buttressed by remarks by First Lady Jill Biden, who spoke to a conference in Washington Monday. Biden she is 'without words'
