LIVE 1:00 PM ET ~ White House Press Briefing by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki at The White House, Wednesday, March 9, 2022
A half dozen suspects have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the shooting, and we are grateful to Des Moines law enforcement and first responders for their quick work and professionalism.
But these swift arrests cannot obscure the reality that too many families have had to bury a piece of their soul after yet another tragic shooting. It comes less than a month after we marked four years since the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and three months after the shooting at Oxford High School in Oakland County, Michigan. Between these tragedies are shootings that happen every day without making headlines.
Enough. Our young people should be safe in and around school, in their neighborhoods, and in their homes. Every American should be able to visit a house of worship, a grocery store, a night club, or any other place without fear of being gunned down. That too many cannot is a stain on our national character and an urgent call to action.
Last June, I put forward a comprehensive national strategy to reduce gun violence. In carrying out this strategy, I have taken more executive action to reduce gun violence than any other president in their first year in office—more than a dozen necessary actions, from cracking down on gun trafficking and rogue gun dealers, to promoting safe firearm storage, to reining in the proliferation of hard-to-trace “ghost guns” that can be bought online and made at home. Now, Congress must do its job. As I reiterated in my State of the Union address last week, it is up to Congress to pass proven measures to reduce gun violence—including universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and a repeal of the liability shield protecting gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets. These laws don’t infringe on the Second Amendment, but they will save lives.
May God bless the lives that have been lost or forever altered."
JOSEPH RONINETTE BIDEN, JR. ~ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2022
In the afternoon at 2:00 PM EST, President Biden and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will meet with business leaders and bipartisan Governors to discuss the importance of quickly passing competitiveness legislation like the Bipartisan Innovation Act to lower prices for working families by manufacturing more in America, strengthening our supply chains, and addressing bottlenecks like semiconductor chips. This meeting will be convened at the White House South Court Auditorium in Washington, DC, USA.
In the evening at 6:15 PM, President Biden will present remarks at the Democratic Senators Issues Conference at Howard University in Washington, DC, USA.
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA DEVI HARRIS ~ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2022
BRIEFING SCHEDULE ~ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2022
FIRST LADY DR. JILL BIDEN ~ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2022
At 9:45 AM PT, the First Lady will arrive at Reno International Airport in Reno, Nevada.
At 10:15 AM PT, the First Lady and DOL Acting Asst. Secretary Angela Hanks will visit Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) in Reno. They will visit with students, hear about job training programs, and present remarks.
At 12:00 PM PT, the First Lady will depart Reno International Airport.
At 5:30 PM CT, as part of the White House’s Joining Forces Initiative, the First Lady will arrive at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, a U.S. Army installation and home of the 101st Airborne Division, to meet with families of soldiers, some of whom are deployed to Europe in support of our NATO Allies. The First Lady will present remarks.
At 7:30 PM CT, the First Lady will depart Fort Campbell and return to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, March 9, 2022.
