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THE
TAKE
Vice President Kamala Harris will oversee the office, taking on
an issue that is critical to her and Biden's political base. The
president's 2024 re-election campaign is expected to focus
heavily on efforts to reduce gun violence.
KEY QUOTE
"After every mass shooting, we hear a simple message... do
something, do something," Biden said. "My administration has
been working relentlessly to do something."
Before the event, Congresswoman Lucy McBath described to
reporters the day her teenage son was shot, saying "nobody wants
to experience what I have. But my experience has become far too
common."
CONTEXT
Gun violence kills tens of thousands of people a year in the
United States, or more than 100 people a day, according to
advocates. A majority of Americans would like to see stricter
gun laws, according to the Pew Research Center.
The White House announced the new office on Thursday and said it
would implement existing laws and work with local authorities to
pass gun safety legislation at the state level.
Democrats largely favor stricter gun laws as a way to reduce
deaths from gun violence at schools and in cities across the
country.
Republicans, with the support of the National Rifle Association,
a gun rights group, largely oppose stricter laws, citing the
right to bear arms established in the U.S. Constitution's Second
Amendment.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; additional reporting by Kanishka
Singh; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
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