President Joe Biden in a speech Wednesday promised his fellow Democrats he would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines "come hell or high water."
"I know I may make some of you uncomfortable," Biden told members of Congress at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference in Baltimore, "but that little state above me, Delaware … has the highest rate, one of the highest rates, of gun ownership. But guess what? We're going to ban assault weapons again, come hell or high water, and high-capacity magazines."
The president has long advocated for banning guns but has often been unclear on the extent of the restrictions. In November, he told reporters that allowing "semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick."
"It has no socially redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers," Biden said. "I'm going to try to get rid of assault weapons."
His November comments led to a flurry of criticism from Republicans, as semi-automatic weapons include handguns, rifles, and shotguns, which make up 50 percent of all gun sales in America, Fox News reported.
"So essentially all guns are on the Big Guy's chopping block," actor James Woods tweeted at the time.
Rep. Mark Alford (R., Mo.) called Biden's stance on guns "sheer ignorance," while Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) said Biden was "maligning most gun owners."