President Joe Biden’s speech celebrating the passage of a new law aimed at preventing mass shootings was interrupted by the father of a Parkland school massacre victim.
Biden was hosting survivors and family members of mass shooting victims during his speech at the White House on the legislation passed last month, when he was unexpectedly cut off by Manuel Oliver. Oliver’s son Joaquin Oliver was killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre.
‘We can make meaningful progress on dealing with gun violence, because make no mistake…’ said Biden on Monday, when he stopped to hear what Oliver was saying in the crowd.
‘Sit down, you’ll hear what I have to say, if you think…’ Biden said.
Oliver seemed to be saying that the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which is considered the biggest piece of legislation around control in three decades, does not go far enough.
‘I’ve been trying to tell you this for years, for years,’ said Oliver.
Biden continued: ‘We have one, let me finish my comment… Let him talk, let him talk.’
Oliver was eventually escorted out of the event by White House personnel.
Biden resumed with his remarks, partly incorporating what Oliver said.
‘Because make no mistake about it, this legislation is real progress,’ the president said, ‘But more has to be done.’
Oliver earlier on Monday on CNN criticized the White House’s use of ‘celebration’ for the event.
‘It’s been a while that I’ve been calling out that using the words celebration, getting together, it’s like we’re going to a party, to a wedding today, you know, we all received invitations,’ Oliver said, bringing up the Rob Elementary School shooting Texas in late May.
‘And meanwhile, you can see these mothers in Uvalde that just saw how their kids were massacred inside a school.’
Oliver said that the bipartisan gun control bill should have included tougher provisions.
‘I really wish there was more in this package of bills and I will do everything, whatever I can to get more in this package of bills. This is not the beginning or the end,’ Oliver said.
‘This is part of a process and there was no reason for this event to be called as it’s called right now. We are celebrating and getting together in the White House – there’s no space for that word.’
Biden repeatedly said that more legislative action must be taken, but that the law is ‘an important start’.
“If this law had been in place years ago, even this last year, lives would have been saved,’ Biden said. ‘It matters, it matters, but it’s not enough.’
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