Biden, WH, not giving up on gun control
As the NRA convenes in Texas for its annual members meeting, the White House is pledging to forge forward with its efforts to strengthen the nation's gun laws, despite a crushing Senate defeat last month in its effort to expand background checks for gun buyers.
Politico reported Friday morning that Biden is planning to keep up his gun control push by helping to tweak the legislation that was struck down in the Senate and rallying voters behind the cause. According to the report, he "hasn't really discussed" the plan with the president.
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A White House official confirmed that "the vice president will continue to meet with groups who are active in the gun debate" but pointed out that he has "said repeatedly and publicly that we aren't going to give up."
As part of his efforts, the official said, Biden will meet next week with faith leaders to discuss gun violence and possible solutions.
The White House has long pledged to keep up the battle for comprehensive reform aimed at curbing gun violence, and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney doubled down on that sentiment in a press briefing with reporters Friday on Air Force One, where the press corp was traveling with the president from Mexico to Costa Rica.
"Sometimes these efforts don't succeed initially, but especially when you have 85 or 90 percent of the American people supporting, in the case of background checks being expanded, a legislative proposal, this is going to get done," Carney said.
Carney said that Mr. Obama is "committed to pressing for action to reduce gun violence and that includes pressing Congress to take action," and that Biden will continue to be "a key player" in its efforts going forward.
He "continues to play a leading role in that effort at the president's direction," Carney said. "We need to hear from American citizens across the country who feel passionately that the Senate let them down and did not hear their voices."
