In a recent move aimed at reinforcing the nation's fight against crime, the White House released a fact sheet detailing President Biden's budget which steps up efforts to enhance public safety and combat various forms of violence, with a heavy focus on gun violence prevention and police reform. At the core of these efforts is the unprecedented allocation of funds facilitated by President Biden's American Rescue Plan, which, despite unanimous Republican opposition, has enabled states and localities to pour over $15 billion into public safety and violence intervention initiatives.

Among the initiatives outlined, additional law enforcement officers, community violence intervention programs, and crisis responder teams are set to benefit from the budget's allocation, and further legislative steps include the historic signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This move marks the most significant legislation on gun violence in nearly 30 years, and it includes enhancements to background checks for those under 21 perceived to be a threat, the expansion of mental health programs, and supporting the implementation of red flag laws designed to prevent access to firearms by those deemed dangerous.

President Biden has also acted to confront the gun lobby by establishing the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and announcing nearly 40 executive actions to prevent firearms from ending up in the hands of those it might endanger, the administration further bolstered the physical security of non-profit organizations and forwarded the largest funding ever for the Violence Against Women Act to tackle gender-based violence, culminating in the first-ever National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

The Biden-Harris administration didn't shy away from addressing hate crimes and discrimination as it introduced the United States' first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and began development on a National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination, signing legislation to enhance local law enforcement's capacities in responding to hate crimes and making lynching a federal crime which directly attacks our nation's deep-seated issues around race and equality.

Amidst continued partisan friction, the President and Vice President urge Republicans to heed the call from the majority of Americans, including gun owners, who support further commonsense gun safety measures like universal background checks, bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, ending the gun industry's liability immunity, and the enactment of a national red flag law; as the administration advocates for more life-saving law enforcement actions, they face Republican lawmakers who stand opposed to these initiatives.