WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden will appear on Wednesday at a national vigil for victims of gun violence as he turns up the heat on Congress to go along with his wish for a ban on assault weapons.
Congress has shown little inclination to outlaw assault weapons since a ban on such weapons expired in 2004, but Biden is hoping to use growing American outrage about mass shootings to lead to greater pressure on lawmakers to change their mind.
The White House said Biden would attend the 10th annual vigil scheduled for Wednesday night at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Washington.
Biden has made banning assault weapons a rallying cry for his gun safety agenda after pushing through Congress a law that includes provisions to help states keep guns out of the hands of those deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.
Congress remains in the hands of Biden’s Democrats for just a few more weeks, before Republicans take command of the House of Representatives in early January. The Senate remains in Democratic control.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Howard Goller)
