Vice President Joe Biden joined New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg Thursday at a press conference calling on Congress to show “courage” and pass stricter gun safety laws.
Biden and Bloomberg appeared at New York’s City Hall along with the family members of several of those killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, CT. The shooter used an AR-15, one of the guns that would fall under the assault weapons ban that the Senate recently decided not to advance as part of a broader gun safety bill.
“For all of those who say we can’t and shouldn’t ban assault weapons, for all those who say the politics is just too hard, how can they say that?” Biden asked. “When you take a look at those 20 beautiful babies and what happened to them? And those six teachers and administrators? Think about Newtown. Think about Newtown.”
Bloomberg, one of America’s most outspoken gun safety advocates, concurred. The mayor argued that “there is no debate” that Americans support President Obama’s proposed package of gun safety reforms — a statement that is backed up by recent polls.
“In the end, what Congress has to decide is whether it’s politically popular or is it the right thing to do,” Bloomberg declared.
Approximately 3,000 Americans have been killed by gun violence since the Newtown shooting.
Video of the full press conference can be seen below:
