Dr. Anthony Fauci on gun violence: “How can you say it’s not a public health issue?”

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“I myself, as a public health person, think you can’t get away from that. When you see people killing, in the last month what has happened has been horrible. How can you say it’s not a problem of public health? ” told CNN’s Dana Bash about “State of the Union” when asked if gun violence was a public health emergency.

Fauci’s comments come after a massive shooting eruption over the past month. The United States has suffered at least 45 mass shootings since March 16, when eight people died at three spas in the Atlanta area, according to CNN reports and an analysis of data from the gun violence archive ( GVA), local media and police reports. CNN considers an incident to be a mass shooting if four or more people, except the gunman, are injured or shot dead.

“These mass shootings don’t always happen; every day, every day there is a mass shooting in the United States, if you count all those who are killed on the streets of our cities and our rural areas,” Biden said Friday during a joint press conference in the White House Rose Garden with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. “It’s a national shame and it has to come to an end.”

In March, the Democratic-led House passed two weapons reform bills that would expand the background, including one that would require controls for all sales and transfers, including between private parties, at gun shows and for Internet. Legislation has stalled in the Senate and the Connecticut sensor. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, both Democrats, have contacted Republicans to see if there would be any support for gun legislation that could reach the 60 votes in the House needed to pass it.

Both senators have acknowledged that they may have to cut back on House legislation as they face opposition from Republican senators and skepticism from moderate Democrats over the issue. Murphy told reporters Wednesday he was even willing to accept a stricter bill to get the 60 votes.

California Representative Karen Bass agreed with Biden that armed violence in the United States is “a shame” in an independent interview with Bash on Sunday and said she would support a stricter bill to pass legislation with the Republican support.

“The bills passed by the House are projects that are supported by the majority of the country, including Republicans, including gun owners,” he said. “Therefore, there is no reason not to pass the legislation.”

The debate over gun control legislation comes as additional pressure on Biden and members of Congress is increasing to show that they are also committed to holding police officers accountable for misconduct, excessive force and near-negligence. a year after the murder of George Floyd by the police.

Bass on Sunday acknowledged the upward rise in police-backed police reform legislation in the Senate.

“It’s one thing to pass legislation in the House. It’s a super hurdle to get it passed in the Senate,” he said. “We have to come up with a solution. We can’t see this happening to the extent that it’s happening now.”

This story has been updated with additional details Sunday.

CNN’s Madeline Holcombe, DJ Judd, Jessica Dena and Manu Raju contributed to this report.

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