Biden: 'We Can Ban Assault Weapons'

President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for a ban on assault weapons and tighter gun control measures as he stepped into the familiar role of grief counselor for a traumatized nation after a mass shooting left 10 people dead in Colorado.

"I don't need to wait another minute, let alone another hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future," Biden said, adding that "we can ban assault weapons."

"This is not and should not be a partisan issue," Biden said at the White House. "It's an American issue that will save lives, American lives. We must act."

"We can ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines in this country, once again."

Biden spoke before leaving Washington for Columbus, Ohio, a visit where he will mark the 11th anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare.

The mass shooting in Boulder, carried out with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, followed a gunman's killing the previous week of eight people at spas in Atlanta, bringing new attention to U.S. gun violence.

Flags at the White House were at half staff until sunset on Monday to commemorate the Atlanta shooting victims. They flew at full staff for a few hours on Tuesday morning before being lowered again to mark the Boulder killings.

Biden offered his condolences to the families of victims, saying he and his wife, Jill Biden, were devastated by the deaths.

Biden has in recent weeks promoted the coronavirus stimulus bill while grappling with a surge of migrants along the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

Now his two-month-old administration faces increased pressure to fulfill promises on gun regulation.

Any effort to move the United States toward greater gun control has historically been difficult with his fellow Democrats in favor and Republicans largely opposed.