PoliticsGun ControlGun ViolenceJoe Biden

Joe Biden Urges People To Watch How Their Senators Vote On Gun Bills

"Make yourselves impossible to ignore" on gun violence, the vice president says.
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Senior Politics Reporter, HuffPost

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Vice President Joe Biden says the only way Congress will do anything about gun violence is if concerned voters keep the pressure up.
Gary Gershoff via Getty Images

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joe Biden is urging people to pay attention to Monday's Senate votes on gun safety measures, saying lawmakers will only change gun laws if concerned voters "make yourselves impossible to ignore."

"After every mass shooting, we've waged campaign after campaign to turn our grief into action, each time thinking maybe, just maybe, this will be the one that breaks through," Biden says in a new video that responds to a popular White House petition calling for a ban on AR-15 rifles.

"On Monday and beyond, make yourselves impossible to ignore," he continues. "You know that by stepping up, your action has the potential to create a domino effect. Have the courage to do it. We have done it before. We can do it again."

The Senate is voting on four gun-related bills after Democrats, led by Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.), staged a 15-hour filibuster last week to pressure GOP leaders to do something about gun violence in the wake of a shooting massacre at a gay club in Orlando, Florida.

Democrats have two bills: One would expand background checks for gun sales to those made at gun shows and on the internet, and the other would let the U.S. attorney general deny guns to people on a terrorist watchlist.

Republicans have their own, watered-down versions of those bills. Their bill pertaining to background checks doesn't actually expand checks; it just gives more money to the agency that runs them. Their terrorist watchlist bill would still let the attorney general deny firearms to a suspected terrorist -- but only if she could prove to a judge, within three business days of an attempted gun purchase, that there is probable cause for suspecting the person has ties to terrorism.

None of these bills is expected to pass. Democrats are pushing their bills to at least get everyone on record on the issues, and the GOP bills are designed to give political cover to Republicans running in tight re-election races.

Biden noted that the vast majority of Americans support both of the Democrats' proposals, and said people need to speak out if they don't like the way their senators vote on Monday.

"Use your voice," the vice president says in the video. "It matters. We need you. This will only change if we continue making ourselves impossible to ignore."

The Senate is voting at 5:30 p.m. EST to advance each of its four gun bills. You can watch the live stream here.

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Before You Go

Pivotal Moments In The U.S. Gun Control Debate
1981: The Attempted Assassination Of President Ronald Reagan(01 of08)
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On March 30, 1981, President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Reagan's press secretary, Jim Brady, was shot in the head. (credit:NBC via Getty Images)
1993: The Brady Handgun Violence Act (02 of08)
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The Brady Handgun Violence Act of 1993, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, mandated that federally licensed dealers complete comprehensive background checks on individuals before selling them a gun. The legislation was named for James Brady, who was shot during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
1994: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act(03 of08)
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The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, instituted a ban on 19 kinds of assault weapons, including Uzis and AK-47s. The crime bill also banned the possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. (An exemption was made for weapons and magazines manufactured prior to the ban.)
2007: The U.S. Court of Appeals For The District Of Columbia Rules In Favor Of Dick Heller(04 of08)
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In 2007 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled to allow Dick Heller, a licensed District police officer, to keep a handgun in his home in Washington, D.C. Following that ruling, the defendants petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
2008: Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban As Unconstitutional(05 of08)
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In June of 2008, the United States Supreme Court upheld the verdict of a lower court ruling the D.C. handgun ban unconstitutional in the landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller.
Gabrielle Giffords And Trayvon Martin Shootings(06 of08)
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Gun control advocates had high hopes that reform efforts would have increased momentum in the wake of two tragic events that rocked the nation. In January of 2011, Jared Loughner opened fire at an event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), killing six and injuring 13, including the congresswoman. Resulting attempts to push gun control legislation proved fruitless, with neither proposal even succeeding in gaining a single GOP co-sponsor. More than a year after that shooting, Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was gunned down by George Zimmerman in an event that some believed would bring increased scrutiny on the nation's Stand Your Ground laws. While there has been increasing discussion over the nature of those statutes, lawmakers were quick to concede that they had little faith the event would effectively spur gun control legislation, thanks largely to the National Rifle Association's vast lobbying power. Read more here: (credit:Samantha Sais / Reuters)
Colorado Movie Theater Shooting(07 of08)
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In July of 2012, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on theatergoers attending a midnight premiere of the final film of the latest Batman trilogy, killing 12 and wounding scores more. The suspect, James Eagan Holmes, allegedly carried out the act with a number of handguns, as well as an AR-15 assault rifle with a 100-round drum magazine. Some lawmakers used the incident, which took place in a state with some of the laxest gun control laws, to bring forth legislation designed to place increased regulations on access to such weapons, but many observers, citing previous experience, were hesitant to say that they would be able to overcome the power of the National Rifle Association and Washington gun lobby. (credit:Rick Wilking / Reuters)
Sikh Temple Shooting(08 of08)
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On August 5, 2012, white supremacist Wade Michael Page opened fire on a Sikhs gathered at a temple in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six and wounding four more before turning the gun on himself. (credit:Scott Olson via Getty Images)
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