No Wasted Crises: Biden Calls for Assault Rifle Ban Hours After Colorado Shooting

Well, that didn’t take long.

Investigators working the case of a Colorado mass shooting were barely getting their 4th pot of coffee brewed by the time Joe Biden got around to calling for an assault weapons ban.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for tightening gun control laws in the wake of a mass shooting Monday at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, less than a week after eight people were killed during a shooting spree in Atlanta.

Speaking at the White House before leaving for Columbus, Ohio, Biden suggested that he may take executive action on gun violence.

“As president I’m going to use all the resources at my disposal to keep people safe,” he said.

Then came the call to ban so-called “assault” weapons.

Biden called for a ban of assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines.

“I got that done when I was a senator. It passed. It was a law for the longest time, and it brought down these mass killings. We should do it again,” he said. “We can close loopholes in our background check system, close the Charleston loophole. That’s one of the best tools we have right now to prevent gun violence.”

The swiftness in which Democrats have consistently seized upon these tragedies has been the focus of much criticism from the right side of the aisle, who’ve frequently implored their colleagues to legislate with less emotion and more logic.

Biden does have a slight majority in the chambers of Congress, however, so there’s no telling what the Democrats will be able to cook up while riding this tailwind of tragedy.