Monday’s formal bill signing ceremony was held by President Biden to commemorate the passage of the bipartisan gun control legislation. This bill was adopted in the wake the shooting at Uvalde Elementary School in Texas.
Although the bill was signed into law in June, Monday’s ceremony gave the president an opportunity to get serious about gun reform. While the bill was a significant step, he stressed that there is still much to be done.
“Will our thoughts and prayers be matched with actions?” Biden stated that he agreed, and that that’s what we are doing today. However, he said that there was more that could be done, such as passing a ban on assault weapons in the United States.
While the White House crowd was made up of gun control activists, many were not in support of Biden’s remarks. Manuel Oliver, the father of Joaquin, was present at the White House to hear the president’s remarks. He said that Biden must do more to end gun violence.
Oliver stated, “We’ve been through this for years and decades.” After the event, he was taken away.
Monday’s incident at the White House highlights the tensions that Biden faces from his party members, particularly in this tight year for midterm elections.
According to a poll by the New York Times/Siena College, Biden’s approval rating is just 33% according to a Monday poll. And 64% of Democratic voters want someone else to lead the ticket in 2024.
The numbers get worse for Biden among younger voters. 94% of those below the age 30 said they would prefer a different Democratic nominee for the next presidential election.
Biden’s inept response to gun violence has been criticized not only for its concern with guns, but also for other topics. Some Democrats believe that the president should show more passion and anger.
Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist, said that “You have an aEUR president” and that his pitch to the country was “I’m going out the way” at a time when the people who are part his coalition want him to be in the center.
Biden’s reaction to Roe v. Wade’s Supreme Court decision was muted in the weeks and days that followed. Senator Democrats pressured Biden to take immediate action.
“We cannot wait days or even weeks to take action for those who need this type of care today. They are sitting in their homes, scared, worrying about their health, concerned about their economic situation, and wondering what they can do. “Every day that passes is one too many,” Washington Senator Patty Murray said to NPR on the day following the court’s decision.
Biden did not announce that he would support the removal of the filibuster from the Senate to codify Roe until a week later. It took another week before the president signed an executive order to protect reproductive rights.
Payne believes that the White House’s slow response was not the best.
He said, “It feels as if you’re on your feet because it’s being delivered in staggered fashion over the span of 10 to 14 day.”
