Biden echoes Colorado Democrats’ calls for gun control measures in wake of Boulder massacre

President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged Congress to pass stricter gun control laws, amplifying appeals by Colorado Democrats to pass legislation in the wake of the mass shooting at a Boulder grocery store that left 10 dead, including a police officer.

“I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save the lives in the future and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act,” Biden said at the White House before departing on a trip to promote the pandemic relief package.

Biden vowed to “use all the resources at my disposal to keep the American people safe.” In the brief remarks he called on Congress to expand background checks on gun purchasers and restore the assault weapon ban.

RELATED:

Boulder shooting suspect bought gun 6 days before attack: Affidavit

Sign up for Gazette newsletters to get the latest news updates

Acknowledging that the accused gunman’s motives and some details about the shooting were still unknown, Biden added: “This is not and should not be a partisan issue. This is an American issue. It will save lives.”

In Congress and in Colorado, however, gun laws remain a fiercely partisan issue, with Democrats hammering the phrase “enough is enough” in a steady stream of statements and social media posts, while Republicans have so far either sidestepped questions about gun safety legislation or criticized attempts to politicize the massacre.

“This cannot be our new normal,”  U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, the Lafayette Democrat who represents Boulder, said at a Tuesday news conference where authorities released the names of the suspect and the 10 victims. “We need to see a change, because we have lost far too many lives.”

Neguse, in a series of tweets Tuesday, called on the Senate to “[e]liminate the filibuster” and to “reinstate the assault weapons ban.”

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, the Silt Republican who has made defense of the Second Amendment central to her political career, tore into Biden on Twitter.

032421-news-boulder 07.JPG

Members of the Boulder Police Department on Tuesday in the parking lot at the Boulder King Soopers where a mass shooting occurred on Monday.






“Joe Biden has wasted no time politicizing the attack in Boulder yesterday by calling for an assault weapons ban & other infringements on our Second Amendment,” Boebert said.

Earlier, Boebert said in a lengthy statement that she wouldn’t attempt to use the shooting to “advance a political agenda” and “will not blame society at large for the sick actions of one man and I will not allow lawbreakers to dictate the rights of law-abiding citizens.”

“We are all devastated by what happened in Boulder and heartbroken for those who lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy,” U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette said on Twitter Tuesday.

The Denver Democrat added: “We can — and must — do more to protect our communities from this type of violence. It’s past time for Congress to act.”

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, an Aurora Democrat and sponsor of legislation to close what he describes as a loophole in federal law on background check, tweeted: “The Senate has to act. If that means getting rid of the filibuster, so be it.”



Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests