FORT LAUDERDALE – Several Parkland families who lost loved ones in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will join President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday to celebrate the passage of historic gun legislation.
The Safer Communities Act, the gun safety, mental health, and school safety law, passed by strong bipartisan majorities in both the U.S. Senate and House and was swiftly signed into law by President Biden last month. It’s the first major federal gun safety legislation to become law in nearly 26 years.
Levine Cava posted on Twitter that “The Safer Communities Act is an important step forward that will save lives and better protect communities everywhere from gun violence.”
Max Schachter, who lost his son Alex in the Parkland shooting, posted this on Twitter.
Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin “Guac” Oliver died in the school shooting, will also be at the White House event. He questioned whether it should be called a “celebration” since more needs to be done.
“For me, it’s not only not enough. You know very well what I’ve been preaching for. Even the president asked for more and it’s not happening. So, I really wish there was more in this package of bills. And I will do whatever I can to get more in this package of bills. This is not the beginning or the end. A lot of people are saying this is the beginning. No, this is part of a process,” he said.
The $13 billion bipartisan law enhances background checks for gun buyers younger than 21, makes it harder for domestic abusers to purchase a firearm, and provides more money for mental health services, including $750 million for crisis intervention programs.
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