January 1, Gun Violence Prevention Advocates Disappointed with Biden

As his first year in office comes to a close, gun violence prevention advocates are expressing disappointment with President Joe Biden.

Advocates say Biden’s response to the recent deadly shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan fell short.

“I think the biggest thing to highlight here is that the president has been a friend to the gun violence prevention (GVP) movement this year and we’re thankful, but frankly, he hasn’t really been a leader,” said Zeenat Yahya, deputy policy director at March for Our Lives.

“We’re definitely surprised. We were really hopeful and he made a lot of promises. We are thankful for some of the actions the president has already taken but there is so much more he can do that’s a comprehensive top-to-bottom approach,” Yahya added.

After the Oxford shooting, Senate Democrats unsuccessfully attempted to pass legislation to expand background checks for gun sales. According to The Hill: “The president has consistently called on the Senate to pass this legislation and another House-passed bill to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.”

Advocates expressed dismay that the Biden administration’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) withdrew.

“I think it’s really indicative of some of the failures here,” Yahya said. “The fact that there is no ATF director just proves that there is just not enough coordination and lobbying.”

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Gun control advocates express disappointment with Biden