In the wake of the Colorado shooting that killed 10, President Joe Biden urged Congress to ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The shooting occurred less than a week after a white gunman targeted three Atlanta-area massage parlors in shootings that left eight dead, with six of them being Asian women.

“I got that done when I was a senator. It passed. It was a law for the longest time, and it brought down these mass killings. We should do it again,” Biden said of legislation restricting such weapons and magazines during his brief Tuesday afternoon remarks. “We can close loopholes in our background check system, close the Charleston loophole. That’s one of the best tools we have right now to prevent gun violence.”

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Biden also called for lawmakers to pass legislation to strengthen background checks. “This is not and should not be a partisan issue,” he said, adding, “this is an American issue.” “We have to act.”

Specifically, the president urged the Senate to “immediately pass” two separate gun-control bills passed by the House this month that target background-check laws.

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“As president I’m going to use all the resources at my disposal to keep people safe,” he also said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has pledged to hold votes on the House-passed measures. However, he seems to not have the backing of at least 10 Republicans to surpass the filibuster threshold.

Biden on Tuesday also praised the officer, Eric Talley, who was killed in the Boulder shooting Monday.

“He thought he would be coming home to his family and seven children, but when the moment came, Officer Talley did not hesitate in his duty, making the ultimately sacrifice to save lives, that’s the definition of an American hero,” the president said.

Biden also mentioned that many details about the shooting are still not yet know. However, he said, “I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future, and I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act.”

WATCH President Biden’s remarks here.

Also on Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki informed reporters on the way to Columbus, Ohio, that the president had talked with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) that morning and would continue to receive updates on the shooting.

“We are considering a range of levers, including working through legislation, including executive action,” Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One.

She also said that Biden “as vice president was leading the effort on determining executive actions that could be taken on gun safety measures, it’s something that he has worked on, he’s passionate about, he feels personally connected to. But there’s an ongoing process and I think we feel we have to work on multiple channels at the same time.”

Psaki provided no updates on whether the president might visit Boulder, saying it would be discussed at an “appropriate time.”

You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.