President Joe Biden attended a meeting in New York City on Thursday, where he met with Attorney General Merrick Garland and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, to discuss gun violence in the nation’s largest city.
Biden started the meeting by discussing the two fallen New York City Police officers who were killed in a shooting.
“Let me start by saying detective Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera are who and what law enforcement ought to be. I’ve spoken to their families and their loss for the city is also a loss for the nation.”
“You know, futures cut short by a man with a stolen Glock with 40 rounds. A magazine with 40 rounds. And it’s really a weapon of war. One of the things I was proudest of years ago when I was in the Senate, I was able to get these weapons—and the size of magazines—outlawed. That got changed, got overruled, but I don’t see any rationale why there should be such a weapon able to be purchased. It doesn’t violate anybody’s Second Amendment rights to deny that.”
Biden says that a “glock with 40 rounds” is “a weapon of war”
pic.twitter.com/dwL4EGWxOw— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 3, 2022
“The answer is not to abandon our streets. That’s not the answer. The answer is to come together, police and communities building trust and making us all safer. The answer is not to defund the police, it’s to give you the tools, the training, the funding, to be partners, to be protectors,” Biden said.
Biden then said he called on Congress to move forward with budgeting $300 million to major cities for policing, and $200 to fight violence.
“Congress needs to do its job to pass the budget, every one of these folks here from Congress is all supportive,” he said. “But, you know it’s time to fund communities, community Police, and the people who are going to protect them.”
“We’re not about defunding. We’re about funding and providing the additional services you need beyond someone with a gun strapped to their shoulder.”
“I have the US Attorney, United States Attorney General here with me today. We put together a comprehensive strategy to combat gun crime in cities like New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and many other cities, San Francisco,” said Biden. “First, we want to crack down on the flow of firearms used to commit violence. That includes taking on and shutting down, rogue gun dealers.”
Biden on the Second Amendment: "When the amendment was passed … you couldn't buy a cannon … and so there's no reason why you should be able to buy certain assault weapons." pic.twitter.com/eCDmaZyE9L
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 3, 2022
Biden stressed the importance of fighting gun crime, especially guns that come across state lines and are used in New York City, guns that are “sold in other places.”
“Today the Attorney General directed all US attorneys in the United States to prioritize combating gun trafficking across state lines and city boundaries. The Justice Department is sending additional products to our resources to help shut down what’s referred to as you all know, the iron pipeline, that funnels guns from shops in states like Georgia the crime scenes in Baltimore, and Philadelphia, New York and so many other places,” Biden commented.
“Governor, you worked with the Mayor and the NYPD and nine other states to create an interstate task force on illegal guns. That’s the kind of leadership that’s going to solve the problem,” he added.
“That’s why today the Attorney General is also directing US attorneys to work with state and local law enforcement strength, strengthen partnerships like this one, and to get repeat gun violence offenders off the street and behind bars,” Biden said.
