Biden Pushes Congress to Ban ‘Assault Weapons,’ Raise Purchase Age in Primetime Address – Opinion

In a Thursday evening address, President Joe Biden requested that Congress ban high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.

“We need to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines,” Biden said, according to the New York Times.

“And if we can’t, we should raise the age to purchase them from 18 to 21. Strengthen background checks and…repeal the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability, address the mental health crisis,” he added.

Biden stated that “we need to ban assault weapon and high-capacity magazines,” We should increase the purchase age from 18 to 21, if that is impossible. Strengthen bg checks and…repeal the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability, address the mental health crisis…

— Trip Gabriel (@tripgabriel) June 2, 2022

Biden also called for increased background checks, “safe storage,” and “red flag” laws, as well as making it easier to sue gun manufacturers.

It is essential that we:

Ban assault weapons — and if we can’t, then we should raise the age to purchase them from 18 to 21.

High-capacity magazines should be banned

Increase background checks

Adopt safe storage and red flag laws

Repeal gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability.

— President Biden (@POTUS) June 2, 2022

Outside of gun issues directly, the president also pushed for what he calls a “unity agenda” that would focus on youth mental health. This speech was made in response to recent mass shootings such as those in Uvalde (Texas) and Buffalo, New York.