The White House defended President Joe Biden’s gun control efforts after two mass shootings stoked calls for the president to take action.
Biden’s press secretary said the president had pressed for reform since “day one” of his administration, building on his record in Congress to enact rules on ghost guns.
“As a senator, he helped pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” Karine Jean-Pierre said, as well as legislation on federal gun background checks.
BIDEN COMES TO UVALDE WITH STRING OF GUN CONTROL FAILURES AFTER ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
Biden has also visited the families of gun violence victims to pay his condolences in the wake of two recent mass shootings.
But Jean-Pierre said Biden was not taking an active role in current negotiations on Capitol Hill, choosing instead to give Democratic and Republican lawmakers room to find common ground.
“He understands how these negotiations work,” Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday. “Sometimes you have to give it a little space so it has that quiet so that congressional members, senators could work on the issue.”
In Uvalde, Texas, over the weekend, Biden met with the families of victims and survivors of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that killed 19 children and two teachers.
Calls of “Do something!” rang out as he left Mass at a local Catholic church.
Biden responded, “We will.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Just days later, Jean-Pierre said Biden had gone as far as he could on guns without action from Congress.
“He cannot do this alone,” Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.
