Biden moves to ban "sick" sale of semi-automatic weapons by January

Joe Biden announced that he will "try to get rid of assault weapons" as soon as possible. The federal president will try to take advantage of the limited time available to him with a majority in both houses to try and tighten legislation on the "sickening" sale of semi-automatic weapons.

Biden used the horror of the latest shootings to charge hard against the sale of semi-automatic weapons: "The idea (that) we continue to allow the purchase of semi-automatic weapons is sick, just sickening. It has no redeeming social value, zero, none. Not a single reason for it." Against this background, he insisted that legislation needs to be tightened, and that he will do his best. "I am going to try. I'm going to try to get rid of assault weapons."

"I'm going to try to get rid of assault weapons."

Questioned about whether he will try to take advantage of the limited time he has before the Republican majority takes control of the House of Representatives in January, the president insisted on his commitment to this initiative. "I’m going to do it whenever – I’ve got to make that assessment as soon as I get in and start counting the votes." That "whenever" is pressing, since, in addition to the already traditionally difficult task of legislating on this matter, which is enshrined in the Second Amendment of the Constitution, he would face opposition from the GOP.

In addition to the short time available to him, Joe Biden faces a major handicap in the Senate. He needs the vote of at least 10 Republican congressmen to overcome the quorum necessary for this chamber to process his bill.