Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse Joins Biden For Gun Violence Prevention Executive Actions Unveiling
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse joined other lawmakers when Pres. Joe Biden announced executive actions centering around gun violence prevention measures. Neguse is a Democrat representing Colorado's 2nd Congressional District, which includes Boulder where 10 people were killed in a shooting at a King Soopers last month.
Neguse also serves as vice-chair of the U.S. House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Over the past month, Neguse has led a series of letters to Biden requesting that he take executive actions to reduce gun violence, including actions on concealed assault-style firearms similar to the one used in the grocery store shooting.
Some of the executive actions include ordering the Department of Justice to draft model Red Flag legislation for states to implement. Colorado already has a Red Flag law to help prevent people with mental health issues from having access to guns.
Biden also ordered the DOJ to create new rules for "ghost guns" in the next 30 days. The president called on Congress to pass two background check bills that have already passed in the House but face Republican pushback in the Senate.
"They've offered plenty of thoughts and prayers, these members of Congress, but they've passed not a single new federal law to reduce gun violence," said Biden.
"The actions that President Biden has announced today will save lives, and are important first-steps in enacting common-sense, gun violence prevention measures," said Neguse in a statement. "Last week, we sent a request to the White House asking for swift action to regulate concealable assault-style firearms, and we are grateful this request was included in the actions taken by the President today. In addition to these steps, it's critical that the House and the Senate take bold steps to approve comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation. We must do everything we can to stop the epidemic of gun violence and frequent mass shootings that have plagued our nation for far too long."
Not everyone is on board with the gun control measures. Rep. Doug Lamborn issued this statement, "I am wholeheartedly opposed to the unconstitutional gun control measures threatened by President Biden."
