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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 12 July 2022
Continued from Front shouting, to sit down, be-
"Because of your work, your fore adding "Let him talk,
advocacy, your courage, let him talk," as he was es-
lives will be saved today corted out of the event.
and tomorrow because of The president signed the bi-
this," Biden said. partisan gun bill into law on
"We will not save every June 25, calling it "a historic
life from the epidemic of achievement" at the time.
gun violence," he added, On Monday, Biden said the
"But if this law had been in law's passage should be a
place years ago, even this call for further action.
last year, lives would have "Will we match thoughts
been saved." and prayers with action?"
Still, Biden said, "we're living Biden asked. "I say yes. And
in a country awash in weap- that's what we're doing
ons of war." He repeated here today."
his call on Congress to pass On Friday, Biden respond-
a federal ban on assault ed to the assassination of
weapons and high capac- former Japanese Prime
ity ammunition magazines Minister Shinzo Abe by tak-
— or at minimum to require ing note of how the shoot-
more stringent background ing had shocked people in
checks and training before Japan. The country has a
purchases. strikingly low incidence of
He also said Congress Manuel Oliver, father of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver, interrupts President Joe Biden as gun violence compared to
he speaks during an event to celebrate the passage of the "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," a
should pass legislation to law meant to reduce gun violence, on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, July 11, 2022, the U.S., which has experi-
hold gun owners legally in Washington. Oliver was escorted out of the event. enced thousands of gun
accountable if their weap- Associated Press deaths already this year.
ons are improperly stored Most of the new law's $13
and are used to commit told some of their stories on said. "And as we were re- or the gender policy coun- billion in spending would
violence. He noted that Monday — of people trau- minded by the shooting on cil he started to promote be used for bolstering men-
he owns four shotguns and matized by shootings and July 4, and there's so many reproductive health ac- tal health programs and
said he keeps them se- kids left orphaned. other gun deaths that have cess. for schools, which have
cured at his home. The new law is the the most occurred since then, the "We have a president who been targeted by shoot-
"We can't just stand by," impactful firearms-violence crisis of of gun violence is really hasn't met the mo- ers in Newtown, Connecti-
Biden said. " With rights measure Congress has ap- just far more urgent." ment, who has chosen cut, and Parkland. The law
come responsibilities. If you proved since enacting a Volsky's group, along with to act as a bystander on was the product of weeks
own a weapon, you have now-expired assault weap- other advocacy groups, this issue," Volsky said. "For of closed-door negotia-
a responsibility to secure it ons ban in 1993. Yet gun was holding a news confer- some reason the adminis- tions by a bipartisan group
and keep it under lock and control advocates — and ence on Monday outside tration absolutely refuses to of senators who emerged
key." even White House officials the White House calling on have a senior official who with a compromise.
Biden on Saturday invited — say it's premature to de- Biden to create an office at can drive this issue across It does not include far
Americans to share with clare victory. the White House to address government." During his tougher restrictions that
him via text — a new White "There's simply not much gun violence with a greater remarks Monday, Biden Democrats and Biden have
House communications to celebrate here," said sense of urgency. was heckled by Manuel long championed, such
strategy — their stories of Igor Volsky, director of the Biden has left gun control Oliver, whose son Joaquin as a ban on assault-type
how they've been affected private group Guns Down policy to his Domestic Poli- was killed at Marjory Stone- weapons and background
by gun violence, tweeting America. cy Council, rather than es- man Douglas High School checks for all gun transac-
that "I'm hosting a celebra- "It's historic, but it's also the tablishing a dedicated of- in Parkland, Florida. Biden tions. Prospects are slim for
tion of the passage of the very bare minimum of what fice like the one he opened briefly paused his speech any further congressional
Safer Communities Act." He Congress should do," Volsky to address climate change and asked Oliver, who was action this year.q
U.S. extends legal protection for Venezuelans for 18 months

ezuelans who fled their tary Alejandro Mayorkas prices, medication shortag-
country's humanitarian called it "one of many ways es, low wages and four-dig-
crisis and are in the United the Biden administration it inflation. That has pushed
States under temporary is providing humanitarian about 5 million Venezue-
legal protection will be al- support to Venezuelans lans to flee in the past few
lowed to remain for an- at home and abroad, to- years, mostly to neighbor-
other 18 months, the Biden gether with our regional ing South American coun-
administration announced partners. We will continue tries, but many have settled
Monday. to work with our interna- in South Florida.
An estimated 343,000 Ven- tional partners to address Many of those who immi-
ezuelans already in the the challenges of regional grated to the U.S. have ap-
United States were given migration while ensuring plied for asylum and their
Temporary Protect Status, our borders remain secure." cases are still making their
or TPS in March of 2021, al- Venezuela is mired in a way through the courts.
lowing them the chance to deep political, social and Immigrants from more than
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, speaks
during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on May legally live and work in the economic crisis attributed a dozen countries have be-
4, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. country for 18 months. Only to plummeting oil prices come eligible for the pro-
Associated Press they will be eligible for the and two decades of mis- gram created in 1990 for
extension that will run until management by socialist people from nations strick-
By JULIE WATSON SAN DIEGO (AP) — Hun- March, 10, 2024. governments. Millions live en by civil strife or natural
Associated Press dreds of thousands of Ven- Homeland Security Secre- in poverty amid high food disasters. q