Biden sets sights on Sanders over gun liability vote

US: Democrat presidential hopefuls look to Nevada

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden hit out at White House rival Bernie Sanders’ past vote to exempt gun manufacturers from liability for shootings, in a Las Vegas speech close to the scene of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

The former vicepresident devoted the majority of his speech at a Democratic gala on the Las Vegas Strip to deliver a fiery charge against the National Rifle Association and gun manufacturers, vowing to hold gun makers accountable if elected president.

“When I’m the president, we’ll take them on, remove the immunity and allow those parents who are trying now to sue for the pain and mayhem they have caused,” Mr Biden said on stage at the Tropicana casino resort.

The resort sits adjacent to the area where a gunman in 2017 unleashed a torrent of gunfire on a country music festival.

Mr Biden, after decrying “carnage in our streets” and the anguish of families whose loved ones were killed in gun violence, said he “will not rest until they’re able to sue the gun manufacturers and get a ban on assault weapons”.

Mr Biden did not cite

Mr Sanders by name when referring to a 2005 federal law that shields gun makers from liability in most crimes, but said “some of the people running for office voted for that exemption”.

Mr Sanders has since changed his position, cosponsoring legislation to repeal the protections for gun manufacturers. He has also called in his campaign this year for sweeping gun control measures.

Mr Biden’s speech came after a frenzied Saturday of campaigning across Las Vegas on the first day of early voting in Nevada’s Democratic caucuses.

Mr Sanders, who was the first candidate to take to the stage on Saturday night, lay into billionaire candidate Mike Bloomberg, rattling off a list of heresies against the Democratic Party which he accused the former New York mayor of committing.

Mr Bloomberg implemented “racist policies like stop and frisk” in New York, and opposed the minimum wage and higher taxes on the wealthy, Mr Sanders said.

It was a rare attack by name from Mr Sanders. Mr Bloomberg is skipping the Nevada caucuses and was not at the Clark County Democratic Party dinner where Mr Sanders, Mr Biden and other 2020 contenders spoke.