‘Crucial’ gun reform plan will save lives, says Biden

JOE BIDEN yesterday hailed a bipartisan agreement paving the way for the most comprehensive gun control laws in the US since the 1990s.

While admitting the proposals did not go as far as he would like, the US president said they represented “important steps in the right direction” and pledged to sign whatever gun control bill came across his desk.

The tentative agreement was reached after weeks of talks held by a bipartisan group of US senators.

It followed mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, which claimed a total of 31 lives last month.

Over the weekend thousands of Americans took to the streets in an estimated 300 locations across the country, which has been home to nearly 250 mass shootings so far this year.

If passed, the laws would represent the most comprehensive gun legislation enacted since the mid-1990s.

“Today, we are announcing a common-sense, bipartisan proposal to protect America’s children, keep our schools safe and reduce the threat of violence across our country,” the

‘Families are scared, and it is our duty to get something done that will help restore their sense of safety’

group said in a statement. “Families are scared, and it is our duty to come together and get something done that will help restore their sense of safety and security in their communities.”

The blueprint includes incentives for states to pass so-called “red flag” laws, allowing the authorities to keep guns out of the hands of people who pose a threat to themselves and others.

Other proposals would mean billions of dollars invested in school safety, including the provision of more armed officers on campus and a requirement to review the juvenile criminal records of gun buyers under 21.

The proposals, which will set the framework for the legislation, fall far short of measures advocated by the US president. A key omission was a plan to raise the minimum age for buying rifles to 21 – in line with current limits for the purchase of handguns.

There are no provisions to resurrect the assault weapons ban that was in force in the US from 1994 to 2004.

Mr Biden also wanted a ban on highcapacity magazines and the compulsory safe storage of firearms.

Nevertheless, he said he would swiftly sign off on the proposals.

“With bipartisan support, there are no excuses for delay, and no reason why it should not quickly move through the Senate and the House.

“Each day that passes, more children are killed in this country: the sooner it comes to my desk, the sooner I can sign it, and the sooner we can use these measures to save lives.”

Last week the US House of Representatives passed a more far-reaching gun-control bill which, despite the support of five Republicans, had little chance of clearing the Senate.