President Biden on Monday tried to put fresh pressure on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban after a Nashville woman carrying two semi-automatic rifles killed six at an elementary school.
Biden addressed the latest in a long string of horrific national mass shootings Monday at a Small Business Association Women’s Summit at the White House, where he faced the difficult task of mourning new losses of children and teachers at an event designed to honor business owners .
He began by joking about how his sister Valerie, a key adviser, was smarter than him and discussed his love for chocolate ice cream before taking a more serious tone to address the mass shooting.
“I came down because I heard there was chocolate ice cream. By the way, I’ve got a whole fridge full upstairs,” Biden opened up.
“You know, it’s pretty boring when you’ve been in public life as long as I have and you’re known for two things: chocolate ice cream and Ray-Ban sunglasses, but what the heck.”
“You know, Ben and I have apparently done this our entire careers and it’s just sick,” Biden then said, referring to Small Business Committee Chair Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., who was in the audience .
“It’s heartbreaking, a family’s worst nightmare,” Biden continued.
“It tears our communities apart, tears the soul that has torn this nation at the soul of the nation. And we must do more to protect our schools from being turned into prisons.’
He noted that the 28-year-old gunman was reportedly carrying two assault weapons and a handgun.
“You know, Ben and I have apparently done this our entire careers and it’s just sick,” Biden said, referring to Small Business Committee chairman Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.
A group prays with a child outside the reunion center at Woodmont Baptist Church following the school shooting
A father holds hands with his children after they survive a school shooting
That prompted him to reiterate his call for a Clinton-era law that Congress allowed to expire against strong opposition from a bloc of members and the powerful gun lobby.
“So I’m asking again for Congress to pass my ban on assault weapons. It’s about time we made more progress, but there’s still more to learn,” Biden said.
Passing even remotely important legislation would likely be a significant challenge. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin told CNN on Monday he would like to introduce a bill to expand background checks, then added, “I’m a realist.”
“I haven’t ruled it out,” Durbin said.
Biden then referenced his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, noting that now school teachers and students — like military personnel — must suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
“These kids, these teachers, we should also focus on their mental health.”
The White House said “enough is enough” after the recent mass shooting at an American school – this time at an elementary school outside of Nashville.
“What we are seeing in schools and communities across the country is unacceptable,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
“What we saw today is devastating and heartbreaking for every American,” she added, noting that President Joe Biden will address the shooting in pre-scheduled remarks later Monday afternoon.
She called the news “devastating” and “heartbreaking for every American,” but gave no specific information on any new executive orders President Biden may be planning. She repeatedly referred to stalled legislative proposals in Congress.
Her official response was bolstered by statements by First Lady Jill Biden, speaking at a conference in Washington on Monday. Biden is “wordless” as she became the first person in the White House to publicly respond to news of a shooting at a Nashville school that left three children dead.
The first lady was speaking as new details emerged about the recent mass shooting that killed young children at school, prompting the White House to say “enough is enough” on Monday.
“I’m really at a loss for words and our children deserve better. We stand with Nashville in prayer,” Biden said during an address at the National League of Cities conference.
Six people – including three children – are dead after a 28-year-old gunman opened fire at a Nashville private school.
First Lady Jill Biden said she was “wordless” as she was the first person in the White House to publicly respond to news of a shooting at a Nashville school that killed three children
The incident happened at Covenant School, an elementary school on the outskirts of town.
At the White House, Jean-Pierre spoke about the tragic shooting at the top of her daily news briefing, and fielded numerous questions about it, amid a year-long stalemate in Congress and the expiry of an assault weapons ban that was legal but expired.
She pointed to executive action taken by President Joe Biden after two previous mass shootings, but used strong language to urge Congress to legislate more.
‘It’s not enough. We must do more,’ she said. She said Biden “wants Congress to act because enough is enough.”
“How many more children have to be murdered before Republicans in Congress stand up to ban assault weapons, close loopholes… or demand safekeeping of guns?” said Jean-Pierre.
Children hold hands as they exit Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday after a gunman opened fire, killing three children and three staff members
Terrified children peek out the windows of their school bus as they wait for a ride away from school after the shooting
Students are evacuated from Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee Monday after a gunman killed three children and two adults
Biden helped lead efforts to ban semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in 1994, but that legislation expired in 2004.
She said Biden was briefed on the “heartbreaking” news of the shooting. She expressed the “President’s appreciation for the first responders and prayers for all families affected by the shooting.”
“Too often, gun violence devastates our schools and communities,” she said.
“Schools should be safe places for our children to grow up and learn and for our educators to teach,” she said.
She pointed to four elements of the legislation: background checks on all gun sales (dealing with the so-called gun show loophole; background checks on all sales; legislation on high-capacity magazines; and removing gun manufacturers’ liability from lawsuits.
A father carries his son out of Nashville’s Covenant School after a gunman killed three students and two staff before he was shot dead
“Those are things they can do,” she said of the convention.
Earlier this month, Biden signed an executive order aimed at expanding background checks by filling a loophole that allowed some gun sellers not to conduct background checks before proceeding with a sale.
Police say the gunman – whose name has not yet been released – killed three children and three adults before he was shot dead by police. Her identity has not yet been confirmed.
Just before 10:13 a.m., the gunman entered the school through a side door and opened fire on the second floor.
The police arrived at the scene and heard the shots from the 2nd floor. At 10:27 a.m. she had been shot. She was armed with two assault rifles and a pistol.