Biden: Court ruling expanding gun rights ‘should deeply trouble us all’

President Biden on Thursday ripped into the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down a New York state law that made it difficult to obtain a permit to carry a handgun outside the home, saying the ruling should trouble Americans in the wake of recent gun violence.

“This ruling contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should deeply trouble us all,” Biden argued in a statement. “In the wake of the horrific attacks in Buffalo and Uvalde, as well as the daily acts of gun violence that do not make national headlines, we must do more as a society — not less — to protect our fellow Americans.”

The president called on states to enact gun violence prevention laws in light of the ruling and cited the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who said that the Second Amendment is not absolute.

“For centuries, states have regulated who may purchase or possess weapons, the types of weapons they may use, and the places they may carry those weapons. And the courts have upheld these regulations,” Biden said.

Biden, who said he was “deeply disappointed” by the ruling, also noted that New York has required individuals to acquire a license to carry a concealed weapon in public since 1911.

The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision strikes down New York’s law that required concealed carry permit applicants to demonstrate a special need for a license, beyond a basic desire for self-defense.

“More than a century later, the United States Supreme Court has chosen to strike down New York’s long-established authority to protect its citizens,” Biden said.

Vice President Harris on Thursday briefly commented on the ruling at the beginning of a meeting with Democratic state attorneys general on abortion rights. She said the Biden administration was “deeply concerned and troubled” by the ruling and said it defied common sense and the Constitution.

“The Supreme Court’s decision today defies logic in terms of what we know we are capable doing with reasonable gun safety laws to secure the safety and the wellbeing of the people of our nation,” she said.

The ruling comes as the Senate is set to hold a procedural vote Thursday on a bipartisan gun reform package that includes measures to close the so-called boyfriend loophole, support red flag laws and bolster background checks for those younger than 21.

Biden touted that he has moved on executive actions to reduce gun violence, and he called on Americans to “make their voices heard on gun safety.”

The president has largely waited on the sidelines for the Senate to finalize their bill and left it up to Capitol Hill to come to an agreement.

Updated 1:42 p.m.

Morgan Chalfant contributed.