Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Statement on President Biden’s Remarks in Wilkes-Barre, PA on His Safer America Plan

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Everytown for Gun Safety and its grassroots networks, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, released the following statement as President Biden travels today to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to deliver remarks on his Safer America Plan, a proposed $37 billion investment to prevent gun crime, support community violence intervention programs, and keep guns out of dangerous hands, while calling on Congress to take additional action on gun safety.

“With his Safer America plan, President Biden is sending a message to Washington: the landmark gun safety bill that recently passed Congress was a starting point, not the finish line,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “President Biden has been fighting to prevent gun violence for decades, so it’s no surprise that he’s continuing to lead the charge.”

“Our grassroots volunteers were instrumental in electing President Biden because we knew he’d prioritize gun safety, and he continues to keep that commitment,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “Following the signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the implementation of the Administration’s rule on ghost guns, the Safer America Plan proposal is an important next step that would save lives and help further address our nation’s gun violence epidemic.”

“Too many young people like myself can’t even remember a time when we could go to school or the mall without the fear of gun violence,” said Avery Hamill, a volunteer with Students Demand Action in Pennsylvania and member of the Students Demand Action National Advisory Board. “Laws like the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act are important steps forward, and you can count on students like me doing all we can to build upon this progress.” 

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act establishes an enhanced background check process for gun buyers under age 21, provides federal funding to implement state Red Flag laws, disarms domestic abusers by addressing the dating partner loophole, and funds community violence intervention programs, among other items.

This continues to be the strongest gun safety administration in history, as evidenced by President Biden’s signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the recent confirmation of an ATF Director for the first time in seven years, historic executive actions to address gun violence, his long record of taking on the NRA and passing life-saving laws, Vice President Kamala Harris’ years of gun safety advocacy, and the unmatched gun sense cabinet they have built. President Biden has prioritized gun safety since entering office, from combating deadly, untraceable ghost guns, to the Department of Justice’s development of a strategy on reducing violent crime and a new, annual comprehensive report on firearms trafficking, to the comprehensive strategy to address gun violence that includes efforts to fight gun trafficking, investments in community violence intervention programs, and more.