President Biden signed the bipartisan gun safety bill into law on Saturday, saying that “time is of the essence” and that the legislation will “save lives.”
“While this bill does not do everything I want, it does include actions I have long advocated for,” Biden said, calling it a “historic day” .
Jill Biden, the president’s wife, was present at the brief signing ceremony. He stated that the White House will hold a larger ceremony on July 11 to commemorate the occasion.
In a rare instance, senators from both parties responded to a spate of mass shootings with legislation on Thursday when the Senate enacted a compromise gun safety package by a vote of 65-33.
However, the bill is still short of the demands of many gun control activists, who want to outlaw assault weapons and limit the purchase of firearms to people under the age of 21.
Friday, 10:35 a.m. PT: The House passed a bipartisan compromise gun safety bill, and it now goes to Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
However, the bill stops short of outright banning the sale of assault weapons to anybody under the age of 18.
By a vote of 65-33, the Senate approved the measure late on Thursday.
Given that no meaningful federal gun regulation had been achieved in nearly 30 years, congressional leaders hailed the legislation as a victory.
“Families in Uvalde and Buffalo — and too many tragic shootings before — have demanded action,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.