Advocates call the first-of-its kind office a win for the gun-safety movement.
President Joe Biden announced on Friday the establishment of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to help reduce the nation’s epidemic of gun violence.
« He believes that now is the moment to accelerate our work to reduce gun violence, which is why he is establishing this office, » Stefanie Feldman, who will serve as Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, told reporters.
Speaking from the Rose Garden, the president said he took this action « to send a clear message about how important this issue is to me and to the country. »
« After every mass shooting, we hear a simple message — the same message all over the country. I’ve been to every mass shooting, ‘Do something, please do something,' » Biden said.
« Do something to prevent the tragedies that leave behind survivors who will always carry the physical and emotional scars; families will never quite be the same; communities overwhelmed by grief and trauma. Do something! Do something, » the president continued.
While the announcement does not include a new policy initiative, Biden said the new White House office will « centralize, accelerate and intensify » the administration’s efforts to deal with gun violence.
Since taking office, the Biden administration has sought to take action on guns through executive actions, and most notably, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which enhanced background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21 and increased funding for so-called « Red Flag » laws, among other actions.
« There’s a big difference between doing the bare minimum and doing everything you can to make sure that the executive actions the president has already announced and the bipartisan Safer Communities Act are implemented to the fullest extent possible, and the president wants to make sure that we have staff on hand to really excel, » a senior administration official said.
But the administration has not been able to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines — a campaign pledge from Biden’s 2020 run.
