New office will focus on implementing executive and legislative action, including historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act signed by President Biden. NH House
CONCORD, NH – Today, President Biden announced the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The office will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, with support from key national gun violence prevention leaders. NH House Majority Leader Jason Osborne called it a “gun grab.”
Read more details from the White House here
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) released the following statement in response to President Biden’s announcement:
“President Biden’s administration has made it clear from day one that they are hostile to gun owners, and Democrats at the federal and state level will stop at nothing until they successfully make criminals out of responsible gun owners. Today as I watched President Biden announce the new Office of Gun Violence and Prevention, I was reminded of the legislation we passed last term aimed at thwarting any type of unconstitutional gun-grabbing at the federal level.
“In 2022, the legislature passed HB1178, which prohibits the state from enforcing any federal statute, regulation, or Presidential Executive Order that restricts or regulates the right of the people to keep and bear arms. New Hampshire is one of the safest states in the nation, and we refuse to bow to one-size-fits-all federal restrictions,” Osborne said.
Members of GunSense NH and the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition released the following statements:
Zandra Rice Hawkins, director of GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress, and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “We applaud President Biden for his urgency in addressing the deep and harmful impacts of gun violence in our country. The first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention builds off the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and is another concrete step forward to protect our families, our schools, and our communities. We all deserve a future without gun violence. Working together, we can make that happen. We call on Congress and our state leaders to do their part to address the epidemic of gun violence that continues to harm our communities and our futures.”
State Representative David Meuse, prime sponsor of state gun violence prevention bills and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “President Biden’s announcement of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention is a welcome relief for all of us who continue to raise our voices so we can have a future without constant threat of gun violence. Serious action is needed to keep all of our loved ones safe and to save lives, and we’re thankful the Biden administration is taking long-needed steps.”
State Senator Debra Altschiller, prime sponsor of state gun violence prevention bills and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “New Hampshire is not immune from gun violence, and despite growing support for gun safety policies, too many state legislatures have sided with the gun lobby over saving lives. That’s why strong actions like the Biden Administration’s today are so crucial.”
Heidi Carrington Heath, Executive Director of NH Council of Churches and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “Gun violence is not just a policy issue, it is a moral, ethical and a theological issue as well. Our societies are only as strong as we care for our children, and when our children leave home and parents have to worry on a daily basis that they will be gunned down and not return home, something is very wrong. The new office created by President Biden provides an opportunity for safer communities, so that families can live and grow together.”
Tracy Hahn-Burkett, member of the Kent Street Coalition Leadership Team: “The Kent Street Coalition applauds the Biden Administration for taking this critical step today in the national effort to reduce the scourge of gun violence. As firearms have risen to become the leading cause of death for children and youth in America, it has become clear that stemming this uniquely American problem must become a greater priority. The people of our state and our country deserve better than to live in fear as they go about their daily lives, and we look forward to working with this new Office of Gun Violence Prevention to achieve that goal.”