"It's unacceptable that Republicans are saying there is nothing
that we can do," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre
told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday. "Our schools, our
churches, our places of worships have now become deadly places
for many Americans."
Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden has called for bipartisan
action to help stop such shootings, including a renewed ban on
assault weapons, and described Monday's attack in Nashville that
killed six people, including three children, as "sick." He told
reporters this week he has done what he could through executive
action but needs Congress to step up.
Several Republican lawmakers in Congress this week, asked what
legislative action could help address the rising tide of gun
violence, have said there was little they could do.
"When we start talking about bans or challenging the Second
Amendment, I think the things that have already been done have
gone about as far as we're going to with gun control,"
Republican U.S. Senator Mike Rounds told CNN earlier on
Wednesday, saying instead schools need more funding to harden
their security.
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the right
of Americans to bear arms.
Biden spoke about the shooting by phone on Wednesday with U.S.
Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who has often been a
harsh critic of his administration, according to the White
House. It did not say whether they discussed policy responses.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Susan Heavey; Additional
reporting by Katharine Jackson and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by
Daniel Wallis)
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