Kamala Harris Leads White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
US Vice President Kamala Harris has received additional new duties as Head of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. (REUTERS/MIKE BLAKE).
Vice President of the United States (US) Kamala Harris has received a new additional task related to the issue of gun violence which is still rampant, namely Head of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
The office was established to coordinate issues of gun violence, such as the misuse of firearms and mass shootings.
"We know that true freedom is impossible if society is not safe," said Harris in an official statement, as reported by AFP on Friday (22/9).
"We have no lives or free time, while the United States is torn apart by gun violence," continued the US Vice President.
Joe Biden's companion also revealed that the Gun Violence Prevention Office was formed due to the rise in mass shootings. This case has become a long-standing problem that has yet to be resolved.
Harris also said the new office in the White House was established in response to requests from the US public. He said that many Americans have asked the President and Vice President to deal with this scourge.
"After many mass shootings, we hear a simple message, the same message across the country," Harris said, adding that Americans are asking their leaders to "do something, please do something."
However, a number of parties believe that the White House does not have full power to limit weapons in the United States. Just mention the possibility of banning firearms which is impossible for the White House to decide unilaterally.
Concrete steps to address the problem must still come from Congress. However, in this period the US House of Representatives was still controlled by the Republican Party, which was anti-gun regulations.
US President Joe Biden has tried to overcome legislative requirements and sign certain regulatory restrictions, but the scope is still limited.
Meanwhile, the new role taken on by Kamala Harris adds to her track record ahead of the 2024 US Election. She was previously also assigned to handle other politically sensitive issues, such as immigration.
Various parties also believe that Kamala Harris's task of leading the handling of gun violence provides an opportunity for her to address real problems. This is predicted to help expand Harris' mass base.
On the other hand, firearms ownership is still a hotly discussed issue because no solution has been found. This is confirmed by data from the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organization that records gun violence in the US. The organization recorded 44,374 people killed by guns in the United States last year. The trend of deaths due to firearms will decrease slightly in 2023, namely to 28,793 in the first eight months.
Kamala Harris Pimpin Kantor Pencegahan Kekerasan Senjata Gedung Putih
Wapres AS Kamala Harris mendapat tugas tambahan baru sebagai Kepala Kantor Gedung Putih bagian Pencegahan Kekerasan Senjata. (REUTERS/MIKE BLAKE).
-- Wakil Presiden Amerika Serikat (AS) Kamala Harris mendapat tugas tambahan baru yang berkaitan dengan isu kekerasan senjata yang masih marak yakni Kepala Kantor Gedung Putih bagian Pencegahan Kekerasan Senjata.
Kantor itu didirikan untuk melakukan koordinasi mengenai masalah kekerasan senjata, seperti penyalahgunaan senjata api hingga penembakan massal.
"Kami tahu kebebasan sejati tidak mungkin terjadi jika masyarakat tidak aman," ujar Harris dalam keterangan resmi, seperti diberitakan AFP pada Jumat (22/9).
"Kita tidak punya nyawa atau waktu luang, sementara Amerika Serikat dikoyak oleh kekerasan senjata," lanjut Wapres AS itu.
Pendamping Joe Biden itu juga mengungkapkan Kantor Pencegahan Kekerasan Senjata dibentuk atas maraknya kasus penembakan massal. Kasus itu menjadi masalah panjang yang hingga kini belum kunjung dituntaskan.
Harris juga mengatakan kantor baru di Gedung Putih itu didirikan sebagai jawaban atas permintaan masyarakat AS. Ia menyebut warga Amerika banyak meminta Presiden dan Wapres untuk menangani momok tersebut.
"Setelah banyak penembakan massal, kami mendengar pesan sederhana, pesan yang sama di seluruh negeri," ujar Harris, sekaligus menambahkan bahwa warga Amerika meminta kepada pemimpinnya untuk "melakukan sesuatu, tolong lakukan sesuatu."
Meski demikian, sejumlah pihak menilai Gedung Putih tidak memiliki kuasa penuh untuk membatasi senjata di Amerika Serikat. Sebut saja kemungkinan melarang senjata api yang tidak mungkin diputuskan Gedung Putih secara sepihak.
Langkah konkret dalam menangani masalah itu tetap harus datang dari Kongres. Namun, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat AS dalam periode ini masih dikuasai Partai Republik yang anti aturan senjata. Presiden AS Joe Biden sesungguhnya telah mencoba untuk mengatasi persyaratan legislatif dan meneken pembatasan peraturan tertentu, tetapi cakupannya masih terbatas.
Sementara itu, peran baru yang diemban Kamala Harris menambah rekam jejaknya menjelang Pemilu AS 2024. Ia sebelumnya juga ditugaskan untuk menangani isu sensitif politik lainnya, seperti imigrasi.
Berbagai pihak juga menilai tugas Kamala Harris memimpin penanganan kekerasan senjata memberi kesempatan bagi dirinya untuk mengatasi masalah nyata. Hal itu diprediksi dapat membantu memperluas basis massa Harris.
Di sisi lain, kepemilikan senjata api masih menjadi isu yang hangat dibahas karena tak kunjung menemukan solusi. Hal itu diperkuat dengan data Gun Violence Archive, organisasi non-pemerintah yang mendata kekerasan senjata di AS.
Organisasi itu mencatat 44.374 orang terbunuh oleh senjata di Amerika Serikat sepanjang tahun lalu. Tren kematian akibat senjata api sedikit menurun pada 2023, yakni menjadi 28.793 dalam delapan bulan pertama.