Pres. Joe Biden Appears to Rule out Possibility of Taking Major Executive Action on Guns, Says He Will Defer to Congress on Gun Control
President Joe Biden said Monday that gun control is up to Congress as he cannot "dictate this stuff."
After stepping off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House from a trip to Texas, the president told reporters that it is ultimately up to the House and the Senate to outlaw an assault weapon or strengthen the background check for gun sales.
Biden noted that although he will continue to take "any executive action" he can take, he could still not outlaw a weapon and change a background check, The Hill reported.
"I can't do that," the president said, adding that Congress must act to pass gun control legislation.
Biden also said, "I don't know," when asked if he was optimistic about getting a deal to address gun violence after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week that he had tapped Senator John Cornyn to negotiate with Democrats.
"McConnell is a rational Republican. Cornyn is as well... I think there's a recognition on their part that they - we can't continue like this. We can't do this," the president noted.
Democrats have found themselves in the gun control debate anew, with a bipartisan group of lawmakers starting the discussions this week, The Guardian reported.
The group of lawmakers was led by Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, the congressman representing Sandy Hook at the time of the massacre nearly 10 years ago.
President Joe Biden on Gun Control Measures
According to South China Morning Post, Joe Biden told reporters that he has been pretty motivated in pushing for stricter gun regulation.
The president said he will continue to push for such measures, adding that he thinks things have "gotten so bad that everybody is getting more rational about it."
When asked about the possibility of encouraging states to set up red flag laws to prohibit people deemed dangerous from possessing a gun, he said it was hard to say as he was not "negotiating with any of the Republicans."
Biden also repeated his opposition to 100-round magazines, which are rarely used devices that are legal in some states. The president said there is only one reason "for something that can fire 100 shots."
The White House highlighted a series of executive orders the president has signed regarding the administration's response to the "epidemic of gun violence." One of those orders would strengthen regulations on "ghost guns."
Texas School Shooting
The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the killings after the admission from law enforcement officials of critical errors in their response.
The Independent reported that footage from the massacre shows dozens of officers and first responders around the area as children break through windows to make their escape.
Texas school shooting gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, shot his grandmother in the face before he went on a killing spree at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde last week.
Ramos' grandmother, Celia "Sally" Martinez Gonzales, is in stable condition now. However, family members claimed that the elderly may never be able to speak again. Gonzales has only been able to communicate by writing.
Officials believe that "there was no meaningful forewarning" of Ramos' crimes other than messages he sent before the attack.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: Joe Biden in Texas Following Uvalde School Shooting - From ABC News