Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin spoke at a White House ceremony where President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order that will restrict the availability of machine gun conversion devices that can turn a handgun into a fully-automatic weapon, which is already illegal under federal law.
The ceremony was coordinated after a recent mass shooting in Birmingham killed 4 and injured at least 17 others. Officials believe the shooter may have used a Glock switch type device that makes a handgun fire like a fully automatic weapon.
“I want you all to know that I am not here representing myself. I am here representing the 200,000 residents I serve. Gun Violence is very, very personal to me,” Woodfin said at the White House after being introduced by Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Because I know the scream of a mother when her child is killed. I know that because I heard it from the voice of my own mother when my brother was killed by gun violence. I know that scream. I heard that scream again this past Saturday, as the lives of four people were stolen and 17 other victims were shot during the horrific mass shooting in Birmingham,” he said.
“Saving lives, saving lives should not be partisan. Saving lives should not be Democrat or a Republican thing. Saving Lives everyone saving lives shouldn’t be political. Saving lives is the most American thing we can do together. We’ve been working with our U.S. Attorney with the Justice Department to get machine gun conversions like block switches off our city streets.
“But still my community, and I imagine other communities, are still finding the use of these devices at crime scene after crime scene. And so that is why I’m grateful to our president. That is why I’m so grateful to our vice president as well, who today are taking more action to help people, not only in Birmingham — but across our country. Today, we work to loosen the grip that gun violence has on our communities. I know firsthand what it means to have a president who is not only a partner, but a friend to community and cities.”
Woodfin proceeded to introduce and thank President Biden.
Shortly after the shooting, Woodfin called on lawmakers to address the issue of machine gun conversion devices, calling it “the number one public safety issue in our city and state.” Woodfin said. “Though illegal under federal law, there is no state law that makes Glock switches illegal.”
The EO is an attempt on cracking down on machine gun conversion devices, as well as 3D-printed guns that do not have the typical serial numbers. Biden also called for a new task force that will issue a report in 90 days on federal capacity to detect and seize the devices, as well as plans to combat the threats.
“Machine gun converters like the one used in Saturday night’s mass shooting are designed for one purpose—mass killing,” U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) said about the EO.
“They have no place on the streets of America. I applaud President Biden for taking action to restrict the availability of these dangerous devices and for the Biden-Harris Administration’s strong commitment to tackling gun violence over the past four years. I look forward to joining him today as he announces these critical new steps. Only by taking meaningful action can we stem this needless loss of life.”
On Tuesday morning, Sewell spoke on the House Floor to recognize the victims of Saturday night’s mass shooting. She called on Congress to pass common sense measures to keep weapons out of dangerous hands, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. She also called on officials in the State of Alabama to reverse the 2022 permitless carry law which has allowed for the unchecked proliferation of guns on the streets of Alabama.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270
