- 9/22/2023
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris launch the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
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00:00 [ Music ]
00:26 >> Good afternoon, everyone.
00:28 Please be seated.
00:28 Good afternoon.
00:29 So I will start by thanking our President, Joe Biden,
00:37 for his longstanding leadership in the fight
00:41 to save lives from gun violence.
00:44 I also want to thank my husband, the first --
00:48 second gentleman of the United States,
00:50 and the extraordinary members of our administration,
00:56 the members of Congress, survivors, advocates,
01:00 and our incredible young leaders
01:02 who raised their voice and demand change.
01:07 So we are all gathered here today for a simple reason.
01:11 We agree that in a civil society,
01:15 the people must be able to shop in a grocery store,
01:22 walk down the street, or sit peacefully in a classroom
01:26 and be safe from gun violence.
01:30 But instead, our nation is being torn apart
01:34 by the tragedy of it all and torn apart by the fear
01:39 and trauma that results from gun violence.
01:42 Recently, I have met with students
01:45 on college campuses across our country.
01:49 And when I'm there, every time I turn to the students
01:53 and I make a request of them,
01:55 and what I ask is, "Please raise your hand
02:00 if you have had an active shooter drill
02:03 while you were in elementary or middle school."
02:07 Every time, every time, a sea of hands goes up.
02:16 Because in today's world, on the first day of school,
02:20 students, yes, learn the name of their teacher.
02:24 Yes, they learn the location of their cubby.
02:28 And they learn how to quietly hide from an active shooter.
02:35 In fact, when having this conversation,
02:39 a student once told me,
02:41 "I don't like going to fifth period.
02:46 Why, honey?" I asked.
02:47 Because in fifth period, there's no closet.
02:51 In our country today, one in five people
02:57 has lost a family member to gun violence.
03:01 Across our nation, every day,
03:04 about 120 Americans are killed by a gun.
03:08 And while this violence impacts all communities,
03:13 it does not do so equally.
03:15 Black Americans are 10 times more likely
03:18 to be victims of gun violence and homicide.
03:21 Latino Americans, twice as likely.
03:24 And as a former courtroom prosecutor,
03:27 I will tell you I have personally prosecuted homicide cases.
03:31 I have seen with my own eyes
03:34 what a bullet does to the human body.
03:41 We cannot normalize any of this.
03:44 These are not simply statistics.
03:48 These are our children, our brothers and sisters,
03:53 our mothers and fathers.
03:55 As a former district attorney, attorney general,
03:59 and U.S. senator, and now as Vice President of the United States,
04:02 I have grieved with parents who have lost a child.
04:05 I have comforted children who have been traumatized
04:09 by losing a parent or a sibling.
04:12 We owe it to them and to those living in fear
04:17 to act without delay.
04:21 And on this issue, we do not have a moment to spare,
04:25 nor a life to spare.
04:28 And here's the thing, solutions do exist.
04:33 It's a false choice to suggest,
04:37 "Yeah, I didn't have to choose between supporting the Second Amendment
04:41 or passing reasonable gun safety laws."
04:43 That's a false choice.
04:44 President Biden and I believe in the Second Amendment,
04:47 but we also know common-sense solutions are at hand.
04:51 So I'll close with just a couple points.
04:55 First, President Biden and I continue to be deeply inspired
04:59 by the students who are leading this movement.
05:03 (Applause.)
05:07 So many of whom are here.
05:09 (Applause.)
05:13 And second, in so many ways,
05:15 we are then propelled by their work, by your work.
05:20 And being propelled by what you are doing,
05:24 we are expanding our work.
05:25 With this new office,
05:27 we will use the full power of the federal government
05:31 to strengthen the coalition of survivors and advocates
05:36 and students and teachers and elected leaders
05:39 to save lives and fight for the right of all people
05:46 to be safe from fear and to be able to live a life
05:53 where they understand that they are supported
05:57 in that desire and that right.
06:00 And with that, I will now introduce a national leader
06:05 on this issue.
06:06 He was only 15 years old when he joined this movement.
06:10 He is an organizer. He is an advocate.
06:14 He is a coalition builder.
06:17 And he is the first Gen Z member of the United States Congress.
06:22 (Applause.)
06:26 Representative Max Ross.
06:29 (Applause.)
06:38 It feels good to be a part of a winning movement.
06:40 (Applause.)
06:42 Good afternoon, and thank you, Vice President Harris,
06:44 for the amazing introduction.
06:46 It's the honor of a lifetime to be here today
06:48 as President Biden cements his legacy
06:52 as one of the fiercest champions of gun violence prevention.
06:55 President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
06:58 (Applause.)
07:03 I'm Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Ross,
07:05 proudly representing Central Florida
07:07 in the House of Representatives.
07:08 (Applause.)
07:10 As the youngest member of the United States Congress
07:13 and first member of Gen Z,
07:15 I'm often asked what got me involved in this work,
07:17 and the answer is quite simple.
07:19 I didn't want to get shot in school.
07:20 (Laughter.)
07:22 I was 15 years old when a shooter walked
07:24 into Sandy Hook Elementary School
07:25 and murdered 20 children and six teachers.
07:29 And like millions of kids, I went to school the next day
07:32 with anxiety and fear that my life would be taken,
07:36 my friends' lives would be taken,
07:37 and my family's lives would be taken
07:39 by senseless gun violence.
07:41 Right before I was elected to Congress,
07:43 I served as the National Organizing Director
07:45 for March for Our Lives, a movement
07:47 that inspired young people across the nation
07:49 to demand safe communities.
07:51 (Applause.)
07:53 And we came together — Everytown, Brady,
07:56 Newtown Action Alliance, Giffords, Sandy Hook Promise,
07:59 Moms Demand Action, Change the Rep,
08:01 the Community Justice Action Fund,
08:03 and so many on-the-ground organizations
08:05 that have been doing this work for decades.
08:07 (Applause.)
08:09 It's because of that steadfast, passionate organizing
08:13 that we are a winning movement.
08:15 But we're a winning movement doing very difficult work,
08:17 because the brutal truth is usually
08:20 when the most people are paying attention to our movement,
08:23 it's usually coupled with carnage and death.
08:27 But not today.
08:29 Today, the country sees us here at the White House
08:31 with a president who is taking action.
08:33 My very first bill as a member of Congress
08:35 was to introduce the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act
08:39 of 2023 —
08:40 (Applause.)
08:43 — to bring together a federal coordinated response
08:46 on this issue.
08:47 And today, that bill and our ask as a movement
08:50 will become a reality due to the executive action
08:53 and leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris.
08:56 (Applause.)
08:59 The President understands that this issue,
09:01 especially for young people,
09:02 especially for marginalized communities,
09:04 is a matter of surviving.
09:06 He's a president who's been fearless enough
09:08 to reject the gun lobby and sign into law
09:10 the first major federal gun legislation
09:13 passed in nearly 30 years to bipartisan, safer communities.
09:16 (Applause.)
09:20 And look, this action, that legislation comes from love.
09:24 From Pulse to Parkland, we fight because we love.
09:28 From Breonna Taylor to Trayvon Martin,
09:30 we fight because we love.
09:31 From Tiana Major, Joaquin Oliver, Jamie Guttenberg,
09:35 we fight because we love.
09:37 Because when you love somebody,
09:39 you want them to live free of gun violence.
09:41 That is what true freedom is.
09:43 And President Biden wants that safety
09:45 and freedom for every American.
09:47 And if this week has shown us anything --
09:49 because the White House has been very busy this week --
09:52 it's that Joe Biden wants to be and is a president
09:56 that understands the power of young people,
09:58 a president fighting for the world that we deserve.
10:01 Today, as this administration announces yet another piece
10:04 of groundbreaking action in the fight to save lives,
10:07 I am proud to introduce the President
10:10 of the United States of America, President Joe Biden.
10:13 (Applause.)
10:24 (Applause.)
10:51 >> The President: You did a heck of a job.
10:53 Congressman Frost, thank you for the introduction.
10:55 And you've helped power movement
10:59 as turning a cause into reality.
11:01 You know, you're the big reason why I'm so optimistic
11:05 about America's future.
11:07 So many -- so many engaged young people.
11:09 So many engaged -- I remember when I was young.
11:12 (Laughter.)
11:14 We have something in common.
11:16 I got elected to the Senate when I was 29 years old.
11:18 Only difference was, he was eligible
11:20 when he got elected to take over.
11:22 I had to wait 17 days to be eligible.
11:24 That was 827 years ago, believe it or not.
11:27 (Laughter.)
11:30 Folks, Vice President Harris, members of the Cabinet,
11:33 so many members of Congress who are here,
11:35 and relentless leaders on this critical issue.
11:38 You know, one of the members who couldn't be here today
11:41 is a really important member, Senator Chris Murphy.
11:44 With Chris, who, together with Congressman Frost,
11:49 who introduced the bill,
11:51 created a dedicated gun violence prevention office.
11:54 And he couldn't be here today.
11:55 Since the tragedy in Sandy Hook --
11:57 and I remember being there.
11:59 I remember that -- how I met with every one of the parents
12:03 and met with every member of every family member.
12:05 What I do also remember is that --
12:08 I remember, as we were leaving,
12:12 when the state police, doing an investigation,
12:14 asked, "Senator, can I meet with you?
12:16 If I could meet with you."
12:18 I said, "Of course I would."
12:20 And I think there were about 12 or 14 of them
12:22 that walked in the room.
12:24 And two of them started crying.
12:27 And they said, "We need help. We need help."
12:30 And I looked at them. I said, "What can I do?"
12:33 And they said, "We need psychiatric help.
12:35 We need help. We need help."
12:38 Anyone who doesn't think that these kinds of engagements
12:45 have a permanent effect on young children
12:47 or, in many cases, older their entire lives
12:51 if they've never had a bullet touch them --
12:53 misunderstandings.
12:55 These were hard and tough cops asking me,
12:59 "Could I get them psychiatric help?"
13:01 To all the state and local leaders and advocates
13:06 from all across the country,
13:08 and to the survivors and families who are with us today,
13:11 many of whom Jill and I have gotten to know --
13:15 by the way, our losses may be different circumstances,
13:18 but I know events like this are really hard to attend.
13:23 We want to be here to promote the change
13:26 that brings back all the memories as it happened today.
13:30 I'm thanking those of you whose parents were beaten,
13:34 brothers and sisters who were beaten.
13:36 It matters.
13:38 You have absolute courage to found purpose in your pain.
13:41 Because of all of you here today,
13:44 all across the country -- survivors, families, advocates,
13:47 especially young people who demand our nation
13:51 do better today,
13:52 who all protested, organized, voted, and ran for office,
13:56 and, yes, marched for their lives,
13:58 I'm proud to announce the creation of the first-ever
14:03 White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
14:07 (Applause.)
14:30 Created by executive order,
14:32 I determined to send a clear message
14:34 about how important this issue is to me
14:37 and to the country.
14:38 It matters. And here's why.
14:41 After every mass shooting, we hear a simple message,
14:45 the same message all over the country.
14:47 I've been to every mass shooting.
14:49 Do something. Please, do something.
14:52 Do something to prevent the tragedies
14:55 that leave behind survivors
14:57 who will always carry the physical, emotional scars.
15:01 Families will never quite be the same.
15:03 Communities overwhelmed by grief and trauma.
15:07 Do something. Do something.
15:10 My administration has been working relentlessly
15:13 to do something.
15:14 To date, my administration has announced
15:17 dozens of executive actions to reduce gun violence
15:20 more than any of my predecessors at this point in their presidencies.
15:22 And they include everything from cracking down on ghost guns,
15:26 breaking up gun traffic, to so much more.
15:29 (Applause.)
15:32 Last year, with the help -- your help --
15:34 I signed into law the Bipartisan Sacred Communities Act,
15:38 the most significant gun safety law in almost 30 years.
15:41 (Applause.)
15:43 It extends background checks,
15:44 expands the use of red flag laws,
15:46 improves access to mental health services,
15:49 and so much more.
15:51 This historic law will save lives.
15:52 It's a really important first step.
15:55 And, by the way, I was a guy along with a woman in California
15:59 who also -- who once banned assault weapons
16:02 in all of the magazines.
16:04 We're going to do it again.
16:05 (Applause.)
16:06 We're going to do it again.
16:08 (Applause.)
16:10 Call that the "Ring of Hope."
16:12 Because for so long, the conventional wisdom was,
16:15 we'd never get any Republicans to support gun safety legislation.
16:19 But we did.
16:21 For the first time in three decades,
16:23 we came together to overcome the relentless opposition
16:26 from the gun lobby, gun manufacturers,
16:29 and so many politicians opposing common-sense gun legislation.
16:33 And we beat them.
16:36 (Applause.)
16:42 And we did it through a bipartisan effort
16:43 that included a majority of responsible gun owners.
16:46 We're not stopping here.
16:49 Again, I'll say it again --
16:51 I'm not going to be quiet until we get it done --
16:53 it's time again to ban assault weapons
16:56 and high-capacity magazines.
16:57 (Applause.)
17:03 If you need 80 shots in a magazine,
17:06 you shouldn't own a gun.
17:08 Because, look, last time we did it, it worked.
17:12 We also -- last time we established
17:15 universal background checks
17:16 that require safe storage of firearms.
17:19 It's time. It's time.
17:20 (Applause.)
17:22 While we push -- we push for Congress to do more,
17:27 we're going to centralize, accelerate,
17:30 and intensify our work to save more lives more quickly.
17:33 That's why this new White House
17:35 offers gun violence prevention, as it was designed to do.
17:38 It will drive and coordinate a government
17:41 and a nationwide effort to reduce gun violence in America
17:44 and will be overseen by an incredible Vice President
17:48 who is understanding and has a great deal of understanding.
17:50 (Applause.)
17:53 That's not high-profile. That's a fact.
17:55 She's been on the frontlines of this for her entire career
17:59 as a prosecutor, as an attorney general,
18:02 and as a United States Senator.
18:04 Her deep experience will be invaluable for this office.
18:08 And Steph -- where's Steph Feldman?
18:10 Steph, I want you to stand up, please.
18:12 Steph Feldman has been working on this with me
18:17 since Sandy Hook in 2012.
18:20 Now, she was 13 years old when she joined me, but --
18:22 (Laughter.)
18:23 -- in 2012, will serve as Director of the Office.
18:26 An office -- and the office will have
18:29 four primary responsibilities.
18:30 First, expedite the implementation
18:34 of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
18:37 and the executive actions already announced.
18:39 And I mean it. We're going to fully implement it.
18:43 Second, coordinate more support for survivors,
18:47 families, and communities affected by gun violence,
18:49 including mental health care, financial assistance.
18:52 The same way FEMA responds to natural disasters.
18:55 Just like -- same way.
18:57 (Applause.)
18:59 To help folks recover and rebuild and all this.
19:02 Look, folks, shootings are the ultimate super-story.
19:06 Working through communities.
19:08 Third, identify new executive actions
19:12 we can take within our legal authority
19:14 to reduce gun violence.
19:15 Fourth, expand our coalition of partners in states
19:20 and cities across America,
19:22 because we do have partners to get more --
19:24 we need more state and local help
19:26 to get these laws passed locally as well.
19:29 And to strengthen our laws and give us more hope.
19:32 Folks, to be clear, none of these steps alone
19:36 is going to solve the entirety of the gun violence epidemic.
19:40 None of them. But together, they will save lives.
19:45 (Applause.)
19:46 And it's going to help rally the nation
19:50 to a sense of urgency and seriousness of purpose.
19:53 Today, guns --
19:55 I never thought I'd even remotely say this
19:57 in my whole career.
19:59 Guns are the number-one killer of children in America.
20:03 Guns are the number-one killer of children in America.
20:07 In the United States of America.
20:09 More than car accidents, more than cancer,
20:11 more than other diseases.
20:14 In 2023, so far, our country has experienced
20:17 more than 500 mass shootings
20:20 and well over 30,000 deaths due to gun violence.
20:24 This is totally unacceptable. It's not who we are.
20:28 And we have to act. We have to act now.
20:31 And let me be very clear,
20:34 if members of the Congress would choose to act,
20:36 then we'll need to elect new members of Congress.
20:38 (Applause.)
20:43 The Democrats are our republic.
20:45 (Applause.)
20:48 Look, folks, it comes to a point where our voices are so loud,
20:52 our determination so clear,
20:53 that our effort can no longer be stopped.
20:55 We're reaching that point.
20:57 We've reached that point today, mind you,
20:59 where the safety of our kids from gun violence
21:01 is on the ballot.
21:03 At the end of the day, whether they're Democrats or Republicans,
21:06 we all want our families to be safe.
21:07 We all want to go to school, houses of worship,
21:11 grocery stores, gyms, malls, movies,
21:14 without constant anxiety.
21:15 We all want our kids to have the freedom
21:19 to learn how to read and write in school
21:20 instead of ducking cover, for God's sake.
21:23 And it matters. So let me close with this.
21:26 Earlier this summer, I was in Connecticut
21:29 at a summit on gun safety hosted by Senator Murphy.
21:31 Four students impacted by gun violence
21:36 who are here with us today summoned extraordinary courage,
21:40 and students shared their stories on stage.
21:43 Four of them. They each came from different backgrounds,
21:47 different parts of the country, different shootings.
21:51 But they shared a common, singular message.
21:53 And one of them summed up in just a few words,
21:56 and I quote, "The deadly and traumatic price for inaction."
22:02 That's what he talked about, the deadly and traumatic price
22:05 for inaction.
22:06 They made it clear, what all of you know too well,
22:10 that price can no longer be the lives of our children
22:13 and the people of our country.
22:14 They spoke for an entire generation of Americans
22:18 who will not be ignored, will not be shunned,
22:21 and will not be silenced.
22:23 (Applause.)
22:24 And I know -- I know progress is hard.
22:27 I've been at this a long time, and we've done it before.
22:32 We can do it again. And if we're here,
22:33 I'm here to tell you --
22:35 and you and Vice President Harris is here as well --
22:38 you're right. You're right. We're by your side.
22:42 And we're never going to give up.
22:45 You can give up dealing with this problem.
22:47 We're never going to forget.
22:49 We're never going to get there unless we remember.
22:52 You know, I know we'll do this because I know you.
22:56 Heroes. Heroes prove that even with heavy hearts,
23:01 we have unbreakable spirits.
23:02 Remember, you're your loved ones.
23:05 You're building a movement that endures.
23:07 Above all, you'll never give up on the one thing
23:12 you must never lose -- hope. Hope. Hope.
23:16 Jill and I, Kamala and Doug, our entire administration,
23:21 we're determined never to carry forward that hope,
23:24 that inspiration, that light.
23:26 And you continue to give us hope.
23:30 From the lives we have lost,
23:32 from the lives we could save, we can do this.
23:36 Just have to keep going. We just have to keep the faith.
23:40 We just have to remember who we are.
23:43 Every time I walk out of my grandpa's house up in Staten,
23:46 he'd yell, "For real. Joey, keep the faith."
23:49 My grandmother would go, "No, Joey, spread it.
23:53 Spread it." That's what we have to do.
23:55 Spread the faith.
23:57 (Applause.)
23:58 And remember, we are the United States of America.
24:03 There is nothing -- nothing beyond our capacity
24:07 when we do it together.
24:09 Nothing we've ever tried to solve
24:11 when we've gotten together has ever succeeded.
24:13 God bless you all. And God protect our troops.
24:17 May God protect our troops. Thank you so much.
24:19 (Applause.)
24:22 >> To see those guests, please remain in the Rolling Garden
24:25 as the President and the Vice President depart.
24:27 Thank you.
24:29 (Applause.)
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