 Thank you, Kamala, Madam Vice President. Thank you very much. You know, we're joined today by the Attorney General, Merrick Garland, who I've asked to prioritize gun violence. It's also good to see the second gentleman who is here. And it's good to see the first lady, Dr. Jill Biden, who cares deeply about this issue as well. And I look out there and I see so many members of Congress who have led in this fight. So many of you who have never given up. So many of you are absolutely determined, as Murphren and Rothers are, to get this done. We've got a long way to go. It seems like we always have a long way to go. But also, today we're taking steps to confront not just the gun crisis, but what is actually a public health crisis. Nothing, nothing I'm about to recommend in any way impinges on the Second Amendment. There are phony arguments suggesting that these are Second Amendment rights at stake from what we're talking about. But no amendment, no amendment to the Constitution is absolute. You can't yell crowd, you can't yell fire in a crowded movie theater, we call it freedom of speech. From the very beginning, you couldn't own any weapon you wanted to own. From the very beginning of the Second Amendment existed, certain people weren't allowed to have weapons. So the idea is just bizarre to suggest that some of the things we're recommending are contrary to the Constitution. Gun violence in this country is an epidemic. Let me say it again. Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it's an international embarrassment. To turn pain into purpose and demand that we take the action that gives meaning to the word enough. Enough, enough, enough. Because what they want you to know, what they want you to do is not just listen. Every day in this country, 316 people are shot every single day. 106 of them die every day. Our flag was still flying at half staff for the victims of the horrific murder of eight primarily Asian-American people in Georgia when 10 more lives were taken in a mass murder in Colorado. You probably didn't hear it, but between those two incidents, less than one week apart, there were more than 850 additional shootings, 850 that took the lives of more than 250 people and left 500, 500 injured. This is an epidemic for God's sake, and it has to stop. So I'm here to talk about two things. First, the steps we're going to take immediately. And second, the action that needs to be taken going forward to curb the epidemic of gun violence. The first, first, want to rein in the proliferation of so-called ghost guns. These are guns that are homemade, built from a kid that include directions on how to finish the firearm. You can go buy the kit. They have no serial numbers, so when they show up at a crime scene, they can't be traced. And the buyers aren't required to pass the background check to buy the kit, to make the gun. Consequently, anyone from a criminal to a terrorist can buy this kit as little as 30 minutes put together a weapon. You know, I want to see these kits treated as firearms. The second action we're going to take, back in 2000, the year 2000, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms released a report on its investigations of firearms trafficking in America. The report was of pivotal value. It was an important tool for policymakers when I was in the Senate and beyond at all levels to stop firearms from being illegally diverted into dangerous hands. Today, with online sales and ghost guns, times and trafficking methods have changed. And we have to adjust. We also have to ask the Justice Department to release a new annual report. This report will better help policymakers address firearms trafficking as it is today, not what it was yesterday. The third change, we want to treat pistols modified with stabilizing braces with the seriousness they deserve. A stabilizing brace you can a pencil essentially makes that pistol a hell of a lot more accurate and a mini rifle. As a result, it's more lethal, effectively turning into a short-barreled rifle. That's what the alleged shooter and bolder appears to have done. I want to be clear that these modifications to firearms that make them more lethal should be subject to the National Firearms Act. Fourthly, during my campaign for president, I wanted to make it easier for states to adopt extreme risk protection order laws. They're also called red flag laws, which everybody in this law knows, but many people listening do not know. We know red flag laws can have significant effect in protecting women from domestic violence. I want to see a national red flag law and legislation incentivize states to enact their own red flag laws. We recognize that cities across the country are experiencing historic spikes in homicides, as the law enforcement can tell you. The violence is hitting black and brown communities the hardest. Homicide is the leading cause of death of black boys and men ages 15 to 34. The leading cause of death. For a fraction of the cost of gun violence, we can save lives, create safe and healthy communities, and build economies that work for all of us. I'm going to use all the resources in my disposal as president to keep the American people safe from gun violence, but there's much more that Congress can do to help that effort, and they can do it right now. They've offered plenty of thoughts and prayers, members of Congress, but they've passed not a single new federal law to reduce gun violence. Enough prayers, time for some action. Loopholes that allow gun purchasers to bypass the background checks. The vast majority of the American people, including gun owners, believe there should be background checks before you purchase a gun. As was noted earlier, hundreds of thousands of people have been denied guns because of the background checks. What more would have happened? These bills, one, require background checks for anyone purchasing a gun at a gun show or an online sale. Most people don't know it. You walk into a store and you buy a gun, you have a background check, but you go to a gun show, you can buy whatever you want and no background check. Second thing is to close the Charles, as we're known as the Charleston loophole. Like people here, I spent time down at that church in Charleston. What happened is, someone was allowed to get the gun used to kill those innocent people at the church service. If the FBI hasn't, didn't complete the background check within three days, there's a process. If it wasn't done in three days according to the Charleston loophole, you get to buy the gun. They bought the gun and killed a hell of a lot of innocent people who invited him to pray with them. And three, reauthorized the Violence Gems Human Act, which in so-called close, the boyfriend and stalking loopholes to keep guns out of the hands of people, found by a court to be an abuser and continuing threat. Even law enforcement officials have told me and told other champions of this legislation they sometimes feel outgunned by assault weapons with large capacity magazines. There's no reason someone needs a weapon of war with 100 rounds, 100 bullets that can be fired from that weapon. Nobody needs that. Nobody needs that. Again, the people here, because they're so knowledgeable it's on here in the Rose Garden. But what piece of people don't realize? The only industry in America, a billion-dollar industry that can't be sued has exempt from being sued or gun manufacturers. Imagine how different it would be had that same exemption been available to tobacco companies who knew and lied about the danger they were causing, the cancer caused and the like. Imagine where we'd be. But this is the only outfit that is exempt from being sued. If I get one thing on my list, the Lord came down and said, Joe, you get one of these? Give me that one, because I tell you what, there would be a come to the Lord moment these folks would have real quickly. So folks, this is just the start. We've got a lot of work to do, but I know almost every one of you sitting in the garden here. None of you have ever given up. We're not gonna give up now.