Biden says ‘disappointed’ with Supreme Court ruling on gun ownership

US President Joe Biden has said he is “deeply disappointed” by a Supreme Court ruling that overturned a New York State law restricting the right of citizens to carry concealed weapons in public.

The decision, which seals the right of Americans to leave their homes armed, “is against logic and the Constitution,” President Biden said in a statement. At the same time, he called on “all Americans (…) to have their voices heard about gun safety” because, as he underlined, “lives are at stake”.

New York Mayor Eric Adams has expressed fears that a ruling by the Supreme Court today will trigger “a wave of violence.”

“We will work together to reduce the risks that this decision poses because we cannot afford to turn New York into Far West,” said the Democratic mayor and former police officer. Adams has repeatedly stated that tackling gun violence will be a priority in his term.

In Congress, meanwhile, the cross-party gun bill garnered enough votes tonight to overcome the last procedural hurdle. The vote on its approval by the Senate is expected to take place tomorrow Friday.

Republicans and Democrats hope the law will reduce gun crime following a series of massacres that shocked the United States.

If passed, it would be “the most important in nearly 30 years,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said Wednesday. The 80-page text “will save millions of lives,” he said.

The provisions of the bill are far removed from the measures requested by President Biden, such as a ban on the sale of military-type assault rifles.

The bill focuses above all on the implementation of the current legislation per State that allows weapons to be removed from people who are considered dangerous to themselves or society. It also provides for stricter verification of the criminal record and psychological history of would-be arms buyers aged 18 to 21, stricter crackdowns on illegal arms sales, and mental health programs.