Matthew McConaughey, the winner of an Academy Award, used an appearance at the White House to urge Congress to "reach a higher ground" and pass gun control legislation in memory of the children and teachers killed in a shooting rampage at an elementary school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, last month.

In a profoundly personal 22-minute statement, McConaughey urged a deadlocked Congress to approve gun measures that could save lives without violating the Second Amendment.

McConaughey, himself a gun owner, utilized his celebrity to advocate for reform in a way that the Biden administration has been unable to.

He provided a clear connection to the little Texas town and passionately described the loss of 19 students and two instructors during the second-worst school massacre in the United States.

He urged Congress to strengthen background checks for firearms purchases and raise the minimum age to buy an AR-15-style rifle from 18 to 21.

Before addressing the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room, McConaughey spoke briefly with Vice President Joe Biden in a private setting. Earlier this year, McConaughey pondered a run for Texas governor but ultimately decided against it.

This week, McConaughey has also met with prominent legislators, including the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, and the leading Republican on the panel, Senator Chuck Grassley.

He was scheduled to meet Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer later.

In the meantime, the son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman slain in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, urged Congress to fight against the "cancer of white supremacy" and the scourge of gun violence in the United States.

"Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires?" Garnell Whitfield Jr. questioned Senate Judiciary Committee members.

McConaughey describes his childhood in a Texas community

McConaughey, who declined to answer questions, discussed his ties to the city.

He stated that his mother taught kindergarten less than a mile from Uvalde's Robb Elementary School on May 24, when the school massacre occurred.

Additionally, he mentioned that Uvalde was where he learned the duties that accompany gun ownership.

"Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun," he remarked.

"Uvalde is where I learned responsible gun ownership."

McConaughey stated that he and his wife returned to Uvalde the day following the shooting and spent time with the relatives of some of the victims and others who were directly affected by the shooting rampage.

Every parent he spoke with expressed the desire for their children's dreams to endure.

"They want to make their loss of life matter," McConaughey explained.

He shared the personal accounts of several of the victims.

Alithia Ramirez, who desired to attend art school in Paris, displayed her work.

He related the story of ambitious marine biologist Maite Rodriguez.

Camila McConaughey, seated nearby during her husband's speech, carried Maite's green Converse sneakers with a red heart on the right toe to reflect her love of nature.

And then there was 10-year-old Eliahna "Ellie" Garcia, who enjoyed dance and church and could already drive tractors. Ellie was assassinated shortly before she was scheduled to read a Bible scripture at an upcoming church session.

McConaughey agreed that gun control legislation would not eliminate mass shootings, but he indicated that efforts might be made to reduce the frequency of such tragedies.

"We must invest in mental health services. We need safer schools. We must limit sensationalistic media coverage. We must reestablish our family values. We must restore American ideals and promote responsible firearm ownership "McConaughey stated.