As much of the Democratic field fanned out across Iowa and New Hampshire to campaign this holiday weekend, Biden told reporters in Cedar Rapids that the only solution for major new gun control legislation is to defeat Republicans in the elections 14 months away — “flat-out beat them,” as he put it.
Biden, the former vice president, took the unequivocal stand on expanded background checks and other measures when asked if there was room to reach a compromise with Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, on legislation after the nation’s latest spate of mass shootings that left 53 dead in August.
“None, none on this. I think this is no compromise. This is one we have to just push and push and push and push and push,” he said.
Warren, the Massachusetts senator, has taken more aggressively liberal positions than Biden on health care, student debt and other domestic issues, and she is generally more critical of Republican Party leaders. On gun control, she has endorsed a range of measures, but she espoused a different view from Biden when asked if she could see a compromise with Republicans that fell short of expanding background checks.
“Could they agree to do some things and not that one? Look, that’s part of what making legislation is all about,” Warren said in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire.
Biden and Warren — who will meet for their first debate Sept. 12 after being on separate debate stages in June and July — were among several Democratic presidential candidates who championed gun control measures over the Labor Day weekend in the aftermath of the fatal shootings on Saturday in Midland and Odessa, Texas.
At a town hall-style meeting in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Sen. Bernie Sanders called for background checks as well as a new assault weapons ban and argued that most Americans support greater gun control measures — but their views are being countered by the influence of the National Rifle Association.
As the Democratic field stands now, 20 Democrats are still running, but only 10 of them are in strong enough shape to qualify for the next debate.
This article originally appeared in
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