President Barack Obama, who met survivors of the shooting and families of the dead in Orlando on Thursday, urged Congress to pass measures to make it harder to legally acquire high-powered weapons like the semi-automatic rifle used in the attack.
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The president and Vice President Joe Biden spent hours meeting privately with survivors of the attack, victims’ relatives and police officers who responded to the scene on Sunday, when 49 people were killed.
Both Obama and Vice-president Joe Biden visited Orlando on 16 June, placing roses at a memorial for the people killed in the attack, and later meeting those who lost their loved ones in the shooting.
“Today, once again, as has been true too many times before, I held and hugged grieving family members and friends and they asked, ‘Why does this keep happening?'” Obama said.
Politics aside, many residents said they were just happy to have the president in Orlando as the city continues to grieve and recover after the worst shooting in American history. CONGRESS UNDER PRESSURE The attack sparked a new debate over how the United States responds to Islamist militant violence at home and overseas, with Republican Senator John McCain telling reporters on Thursday he viewed Obama as “directly responsible” for the Orlando attack because of his failure to prevent the rise of Islamic State.
After Newtown, Obama proposed more background checks for gun sales and pushed to ban more types of military-style assault weapons – a tall order in a country where the constitutional right to own guns is fiercely defended.
In Orlando, Obama acknowledged that it’s impossible to anticipate the actions of “every single deranged person”, but said politicians can take steps to reduce the risk of mass killings.
Gunman Omar Mateen, 29, a USA citizen born in NY to Afghan immigrants, pledged allegiance during his rampage to ISIS and other Islamist terrorist groups. Through their pain and through their tears, they told us about the joy that their loved ones had brought to their lives.
The president called for unity across party lines “to stop killers who want to terrorize us”. He noted that the site of the shooting was more than a nightclub, calling it a place where people came to raise awareness, speak their minds and advocate for their civil rights.
The White House released few details in advance about the trip, but Earnest said Obama planned to use the visit “to make clear that the country stands with the people of Orlando, stands with the LGBT community in Orlando, as they grieve for their loss”.
Seeking to clarify his comments, McCain said in a later statement that he was “referring to President Obama’s national security decisions, not the president himself”.
The president also praised the community of Orlando for its resilience amid the tragedy.
Obama has drawn criticism for his handling of the situation from opposition Republicans, with Senator John McCain on Thursday drawing a parallel between the attack and Obama’s policies in Iraq and Syria.
Biden arrived in Air Force Two shortly before Obama landed in Air Force One.
He later attempted to clarify his comemnts, saying he did not mean the president was personally responsible.
Obama also pledged that the government would “be relentless” against terrorist groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida.
As the administrative staff, including Republican Senator for Florida Marco Rubio, landed in Orlando, they were met by Governor Rick Scott.
In response to the shooting, Republicans have called for tougher counterterrorism measures and for the Obama administration to do more to fight the Islamic State group.
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The HRC announcement comes as lawmakers in the Senate prepare to meet Monday to take up four gun control proposals. “But he’s largely, to a large extent, he’s blaming guns”, Trump said, pledging to save the Second Amendment of the U.S. constitution which reads “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”.
