US Vice President Kamala Harris has assumed leadership of a newly founded office to prevent gun violence. The United States is “torn apart” by gun violence, Harris said Friday in Washington as she took office. The Office of Gun Violence Prevention, located at the White House, has as its main objective to coordinate policy measures. Attempts to reform the country’s gun laws have failed for years due to resistance from Congress.
“We have no time to waste, no lives to lose,” Harris said upon taking office. “After every armed massacre, we hear a simple message, the same message across the country,” he added. US citizens have begged those in power to “do something.”
Only Congress can pass reform of gun laws in the US. Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives and the party is against any significant restrictions on gun rights. Attempts to tighten gun laws have repeatedly failed over the years due to resistance from Republicans.
Since taking office in January 2021, Democratic President Joe Biden has only initiated restrictions through regulation. However, these only have a minor impact.
For his vice president, Harris, the new official role in the fight against gun violence means more public attention a year before the November 2024 presidential election – on an issue on which a significant part of the population agrees with the Biden administration.
Gun violence is a huge problem in the US. According to prevailing legal opinion, the right to bear arms is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. There are more guns in the country than people.
Tens of thousands of people are killed by gun violence every year. In the first eight months of this year, the number of victims fell slightly compared to the same period last year – to 28,793, according to data from the non-governmental organization Gun Violence Archive.