Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary in the Biden administration, spoke at a press conference this week against the recently signed bill from Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis and his Republican allies in that state’s legislature that allows for covertly carrying a firearm without a permit.
The unfolding dearth of permitting requirements eliminates an entire opportunity for oversight of firearms. Other states’ Republican leaders, like officials in Texas and Georgia, have moved to implement similar policies, and DeSantis also supported allowing open carry without permits, but that measure was left out of what he signed — for now. Some opportunities for open carry in ostensible association with activities like hunting and fishing are already available in Florida.
“So, look, we think it’s shameful. It’s certainly shameful and tragic, especially after a school shooting,” Jean-Pierre said of the bill DeSantis signed. “It’s the opposite of commonsense gun safety, which we know the majority of Americans want to see. This is not what they want to see. They want a way — to see a way — a commonsense way on how we’re going to protect our communities, how we’re going to protect our kids, and how we’re going to protect Americans. Too many lives have been ripped apart. Too many lives have been taken.” She also spoke to some of the specific policies behind which Biden and his team remain in support.
“And the President is going to continue to call on Congress to move forward with the assault weapons ban,” Jean-Pierre added to reporters. “He’s going to be very clear about that — the high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of firearms, eliminate gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and require background checks for all gun sales, and for state officials to take action on the state level as well. But it is incredibly shameful to see what was done in Florida. And, again, it’s just unfortunate after a tragic event.” Recently, another mass shooting took place at a school, this time in Nashville, Tennessee, where three children and three adults were killed, adding to what is already a long list of incidents of violence this year.
Despite GOP opposition to safety measures around guns, some of these possible changes to the law could’ve directly prevented certain incidents of violence. The teenager who committed a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, legally obtained a rifle used in the incident. Check out Jean-Pierre’s comments below:
Karine Jean Pierre on DeSantis signing a permitless carry bill: "We think it's shameful. It's certainly shameful and tragic, especially after a school shooting." pic.twitter.com/NRyKRCQZ9f
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 5, 2023
