On Tuesday, on the ninth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, President Joe Biden pleaded with Congress for support to toughen gun laws. The president and his administration have enacted presidential ordinances but need support from the Senate to pass “three common-sense” legislative bills that have already been passed in the House.
In a video, President Biden also expressed his personal anguish as he recalled that those horrific moments in time, when he was the Vice President of the nation and Barack Obama was the President. He said that the nation owed it to the survivors, the victims and their families that guns laws should be strengthened.
Nine years ago today, we lost 20 precious first-graders and six heroic educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School. As a nation, we owe the families of Newtown – and all the other victims of gun violence – more than our prayers. We owe them action. pic.twitter.com/rfLywlcZUa
– President Biden (@POTUS) December 14, 2021
He said, “My heart breaks for you, but we have to act.” He also wished for “God’s blessings” on all the innocent lives that were lost in senseless violence in Newton, Connecticut as well as across the country as well as on all those who had been victims of gun violence and their families who had suffered as a result of gun violence.
On December 14, 2012, a lone shooter opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newton, Connecticut. He killed 26 people, 20 of whom were first graders and six of whom were teachers. Tuesday marked the ninth anniversary of the horrific shooting. It was the deadliest shooting in an elementary school in the nation.
Many family members who lost their loved ones at the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook have formed a nonprofit called Sandy Hook Promise. Its main job is to honor “all victims of gun violence by turning our moment of tragedy into a moment of transformation.” President Biden expressed his admiration for their activism.
According to the White House, the President is urging for a bill that would require background checks for all guns sales. He also wants legislation to keep guns away from domestic abusers. President Biden also wants a law that would ban assault weapons as well as high capacity magazines.
