WASHINGTON, D.C. – Vice President Kamala Harris expressed support for stronger gun control measures on Thursday, referring to Australia’s gun ban as an example. The comments followed a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, that left 18 people dead and 13 injured. Both Harris and President Joe Biden called for the renewal of a ban on certain semi-automatic firearms.
During her remarks, Harris emphasized the urgent need to address gun violence. “In our country today the leading cause of death of American children is gun violence,” she said. “Gun violence has terrorized and traumatized so many of our communities. And let us be clear, it does not have to be this way as our friends in Australia have demonstrated.”
Robert R. Card, named as the suspect in the Maine shootings, is a 20-year Army reservist and certified firearms instructor. He reportedly heard voices after receiving new hearing aids and had recently spent two weeks in a mental institution.
Australia’s approach to gun control involved legislation that mandated a “buyback” program for semi-automatic and certain pump-action firearms. The policy has often been cited as an effective measure to curb gun violence.
The call for a renewed ban on certain firearms comes in the wake of earlier mass shootings this year, including incidents in Nashville, Louisville, and Allen, Texas. Biden, congressional Democrats, and public figures have pushed for a ban on so-called “assault weapons” in response to the shootings.
The Vice President’s comments signify the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to address gun violence, though it remains unclear how much traction gun control measures will gain in Congress.