(Adds quotes from more officials)

May 24 (Reuters) - U.S officials, members of Congress and other prominent Americans reacted to the Texas school shooting that killed 18 children and one adult on Tuesday:

U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

"I hoped when I became president I would not have to do this, again," Biden said, decrying the death of "beautiful, innocent" second, third and fourth graders in "another massacre."

Their parents "will never see their child again, never have them jump in bed and cuddle with them," he said.

"As a nation, we have to ask, 'When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?'"

"We have to act," he said and suggested reinstating the assault weapons ban and other "common sense gun laws."

FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN

"Lord, enough.

Little children and their teacher.

Stunned. Angry. Heartbroken."

CONNECTICUT DEMOCRATIC SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY:

"Spare me the bullshit about mental illness ... We don't have any more mental illness than any other country in the world. You cannot explain this through a prism of mental illness because we're not an outlier on mental illness. ... We're an outlier when it comes to access to firearms and the ability of criminals and very sick people to get their arms on firearms. That's what makes America different."

UTAH REPUBLICAN SENATOR MITT ROMNEY:

"Grief overwhelms the soul. Children slaughtered. Lives extinguished. Parents' hearts wrenched. Incomprehensible. I offer prayer and condolence but know that it is grossly inadequate. We must find answers."

WEST VIRGINIA DEMOCRATIC SENATOR JOE MANCHIN:

"That makes no sense at all, why we can't do common-sense, common-sense things and try to prevent some of this from happening."

PETE BUTTIGIEG, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION:

"How many more lives? How many more children? And how much longer before we reject the choices that have made ours the one country where this happens routinely? It is not inevitable, it is horrific. It must end."

REPUBLICAN TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT:

"Texans are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime & for the community of Uvalde.

"Cecilia & I mourn this horrific loss & urge all Texans to come together."

SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL:

"Horrified and heartbroken by reports of the disgusting violence directed at innocent schoolkids in Uvalde, Texas. The entire country is praying for the children, families, teachers, and staff and the first responders on the scene."