Biden pledged to have an assault weapons ban in place by the end of the year

President Joe Biden on Wednesday again vowed to push for a new ban on assault weapons in the United States, urging Congress to pass legislation before the Democratic Party loses control of the House next month.

The previous ban on large-caliber assault weapons expired in 2004. Biden hopes to use the growing outrage among Americans over the increasing incidence of mass shootings to force Congress to pay attention to the issue.

“We’ve done it before,” Biden said, speaking at a ceremony honoring victims of gun violence held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Washington on Wednesday night. – We did it, and you know what, it worked. We can do it again.”

The candlelight memorial event, organized by the advocacy group Newtown Action Alliance, commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Dec. 14, 2012, when 20 first-graders and six adults were killed by 20-year-old Adam Lanza, armed with a semiautomatic rifle.

“Guns are now the number one killer of children in America, and we are being asked to have the courage to hide under desks in school classrooms while too many elected officials lack the courage to pass common sense laws to save our lives,” said Jackie Hegarty, a former Sandy Hook School student who survived the incident.

Biden has long championed the idea of a new assault weapons ban. In June, Congress passed bipartisan legislation with his push, which includes provisions to help states keep guns out of the hands of people who could potentially harm themselves or others.

Biden said in November that he would try to get the assault weapons ban legislation passed before Jan. 3, when Republicans, who traditionally oppose any encroachment on the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which gives all Americans the right to bear arms, will take the majority in the lower chamber of Congress.

Under pressure from reporters on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said: “I can’t share any information with you at this time.”

The House of Representatives will remain under Democratic control for several more weeks before Republicans become the majority party. Democrats will retain their majority in the Senate.