ORLANDO, Fla. – Lawmakers joined local leaders Monday in Orlando to discuss the establishment of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
During the news conference, U.S. Reps. Maxwell Frost and Darren Soto, alongside Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and advocates, talked about the effort to reduce gun violence.
“This is a problem that’s complex and will require many solutions, and I’m glad that we were able to secure one of them,” Frost said.
Frost said he championed the office’s creation after the tragic death of 9-year-old T’yonna Major earlier this year.
The new office will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris and will focus on implementing executive and legislative action.
“We know we have work to do to make sure we’re implementing this vision,” Soto said. “We’re hearing from amazing folks across the nation who this is deeply personal for.”
Some of the measures highlighted by the White House are the Safer Communities Act and dozens of executive actions to keep weapons and repeat violent offenders off the streets.
The office will also focus on coalition building and improving support for communities after shootings.
“Much like FEMA, this organization will work at figuring out how they can support communities after these shootings and figuring out how we don’t have them in the first place,” Frost said.
While the issue of gun control is divided along party lines, Frost said the goal of the new office is a non-partisan approach toward ending gun violence.
“We all have to come together around it,” Frost said.