On February 14, 2018 a gunman opened fire at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida killing 17. With this year being the 3rd anniversary of the shooting, a fire was lit in Biden to start working on the passing of gun legislation. Biden has begun to urge Congress to enact a “commonsense gun law” which would include widespread firearm sales background checks, a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who put weapons of war on the streets.
Since the Parkland shooting occurred, survivors and the victims families have been extremely vocal on demanding change in gun laws, sparking a change in the gun control debate in the U.S. as a whole. Democrats have let it be known that they feel gun safety reforms are in reach, however in reality it still remains a long shot as they need a total of 10 Republicans on board for any real changes to occur. Not only does gaining the Republicans vote present a challenge for Biden, but passing any successful legislation through Congress as a whole will not be easy. Congress has been struggling to address gun violence going back all the way to the Columbine shooting in 1999. Congress has tried to enact two background check plans in the past, both of which have failed. The last major gun legislation was passed in 1994 which banned the possession of semiautomatic assault weapons, however it expired in 2004. Due to Congress’s history, it looks like Biden’s work will be cut out for him if he wants real changes for gun laws to be made.
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