WASHINGTON D.C. — President Biden signs into law the first major federal gun safety legislation in decades. Mr. Biden signed the bipartisan measure Saturday in the Roosevelt room of the white house. As he finished, he said, “God willing, it’s going to save a lot of lives.”
The bill received final passage in the House Friday with 14 Republican votes joining all Democrats.
It followed the U.S. Senate’s green-light in a late Thursday night vote as 15 Republicans joined all Democrats.
“[The American people’s] message to us was do something,” Biden said, “I don’t know how many times we heard that. Just do something. For God’s sake, just do something. Well, today we did. While this bill doesn’t do everything I want, it does include actions I have long called for that are going to save lives.”
One of those measures he supports is a ban on the sale of assault-style weapons.
However, the package includes millions of dollars for school safety, and mental health and crisis intervention programs. There are changes to the process to buy a firearm for people ages 18 to 21. The now-law also closes the so-called boyfriend loophole in domestic violence law, which keeps guns away from unmarried dating partners convicted of abuse.
Lawmakers’ action to address gun violence comes in the wake of deadly mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas.
