"We don’t have a life to spare": Kamala Harris is tasked to lead Federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention

On September 23, 2023, a piece of news came to light that US Vice President Kamala Harris has been tasked with a new assignment in which she will fight against gun violence in the United States.

Kamala Harris shared a statement in which she announced the new role and said, "We don't have a life to spare." She further mentioned:

"President of the United States and I will continue using the full power of the federal government to bring together survivors, advocates, students, teachers, and elected leaders to fight to save lives from gun violence."

President Biden also talked about this and said that he is determined to send a clear message about how important this issue is to him and to the country.

"Do something to prevent tragedy that leaves behind survivors who will always carry the physical and emotional scars. Well, my administration has been working relentlessly to do something," Biden further said.

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What are the goals of the new office of gun violence prevention headed by Vice President Kamala Harris?

The goals of this new federal office will include having a bipartisan gun safety law. This safety law was passed in 2022 and has been fully implemented nationwide.

Other than this, President Joe Biden's actions to stop gun violence will also be included in the goals. Biden further said:

"We all want our kids to have the freedom to learn how to read and write instead of duck and cover, for God’s sake."

Moreover, it is worth noting that, as per the database maintained by the Associated Press and USA Today, as of Friday, September 22, 2023, there have been a total of 35 mass killings in America in 2023.

Earlier in January, a letter was sent by 117 groups to US President Biden in which they demanded the creation of a federal office for gun violence prevention. In the letter, the coalition of groups urged the US President to address the issue of gun violence and create a federal office for this purpose. It was mentioned in the letter:

"In the first few weeks of 2023, at least 69 people have been killed in mass shootings, including multiple tragedies in California, Florida, and Louisiana, and thousands of lives have been lost to interpersonal gun violence and firearm suicide."

It was further written in the letter:

"President Biden has already taken strong actions to reduce gun violence and has an opportunity to save more lives by announcing a comprehensive plan to reduce gun deaths. We urge him to take this opportunity to continue his legacy in addressing gun violence by continuing to make gun violence prevention a top priority for his administration in 2023."

At that time, this letter was signed by organizations like the Community Justice Action Fund, Giffords, Guns Down America, Brady, Newtown Action Alliance, and March for Our Lives, among others.