Kamala Harris
US Vice President Kamala Harris took on a new role in combatting gun violence on Friday, a position that will likely increase her prominence ahead of the 2024 election.
The 58-year-old Democrat will lead the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which will provide cooperation on the subject but lacks enforceable powers to combat the plague in a country with more firearms than people.
In a statement, the US Vice President said, “We know true freedom is not possible if people are not safe”.
“We do not have a moment to spare nor a life to spare while the United States is torn apart by gun violence”, Harris stated at the White House on Friday.
“After every mass shooting, we hear a simple message, the same message all over the country”, Harris continued, adding that Americans are pleading with their leaders to do something, please do something.
Despite the increased drive, the White House lacks the authority to effectively curb gun use in the United States, such as by prohibiting assault rifles.
Any significant changes would have to come from Congress, where Republicans who are staunchly anti-gun control the House of Representatives.
As a result, Biden has attempted to skirt legislative requirements by imposing limited regulatory and administrative constraints.
The new role adds a substantial responsibility to Harris’s portfolio over a year ahead of the 2024 election, in which she and the 80-year-old president are up for re-election.
Other politically difficult areas, such as immigration, have already been assigned to the vice president.
Taking on gun violence allows the former California prosecutor to focus on a conspicuous problem that frequently garners more general support from the American public.
Last year, 44,374 individuals were killed by guns across the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organization.
According to the archive, gun deaths have fallen marginally this year, totaling 28,793 in the first eight months.
Kamala Harris, the first female vice president, as well as the first Black person and person of South Asian ancestry to hold the position, recently embarked on the so-called Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour, visiting many US universities.
In contrast to her frequently low favorability rating, she was generally well-welcomed.
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