Last night, several people were killed and many more wounded in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. And once again, our entire nation is watching in horror as another community is devasted by the national epidemic of gun violence. President Biden and Vice President Harris join Americans across the nation in praying for the families affected by this senseless violence. At the direction of the President, the White House is coordinating with Federal, state, and local officials as investigations are underway.
Americans should not have to live like this. And we can't let it become normal. This year alone there have been more than 400 mass shootings which have traumatized Americans and torn communities apart. As President Biden often says: Enough is enough.
One year ago today, President Biden took the historic step of establishing the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris, to reduce gun violence ravaging communities across the country. The office builds on historic action taken by the President and Vice President to save lives, including signing into law the most significant legislation to combat gun violence in 30 years. President Biden and Vice President Harris have also made historic investments in community violence interventions and taken action to stop the illegal flow of guns into our communities. But we know it is not enough. That's why President Biden and Vice President Harris will continue to call on Congress to act, including by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks for all gun sales. Americans deserve nothing less.
