Joe Biden says recent gun reform is ‘not good enough’

President Biden said Wednesday that his administration has made important progress toward curbing gun violence, but as the country reels from several recent high-profile mass shootings, it will He admitted that there was still work to be done.

Biden’s remarks were made at the 10th Annual National Assembly for All Victims of Gun Violence, an event that honors survivors of gun violence and the families of victims.

“I’ve seen you turn pain into purpose,” Biden told the audience. “Together, we’ve made some significant progress — [the] The most important gun control law in 30 years has been passed, but it’s still not enough. ”

The president said gun control proposals, including banning assault weapons, were “just common sense.” He noted that the 1994 assault weapons ban had expired.

“We did it. And guess what? We did it. The number of violent mass murders has dropped significantly. Many lives have been saved. We can start over,” Biden said. .

The event was organized by the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation, a grassroots organization set up to commemorate those killed in the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Twenty of her first graders and six of her teachers died in the massacre.

The vigil was held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill.

Biden is the first president to attend the annual event since 2013. About 150 families, survivors, students and advocates attended the memorial service. Members of the House of Representatives and their staff were also invited to attend, but it is not clear how many attended.

Mr. Biden praised those in attendance, telling them their loved ones will always be with them.

“They are in your heart. They are part of you,” he said.

The remembrances follow a particularly bloody November that included three mass shootings. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a man with a gun opened fire at his LGBTQ nightclub, killing five and injuring 18. An employee opened fire in a Walmart break room in Chesapeake, Virginia, killing six people. In Charlottesville, Virginia, a former football player murdered three of his students after a field trip.

Biden, who was a key figure in the Obama administration’s gun policy after Sandy Hook, has advocated for tougher gun laws since becoming president. He calls for a ban on assault weapons, including high-powered firearms and semi-automatic long rifles such as the AR-15.

With Republicans set to take control of the House next month, a weapons ban is unlikely to happen. There is

The president has had some legislative successes on gun policy. Earlier this year, Congress announced that it would increase background checks for gun buyers under 21, provide billions of dollars to mental health services, and reduce the number of convicted domestic abusers from buying firearms. Passed a bill to block for the year.

Biden also oversaw the bipartisan nomination of the Director of the Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the first time since 2013.