The president Joe Biden will make an effort to stop the spread of untraceable firearms made at home.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of a series of executive actions announced Thursday in the aftermath of recent mass shootings, President Joe Biden will aim to limit “ghost weapons” and make it easier for people to flag family members who shouldn’t be able to buy firearms.
Even as politicians expressed openness to provisions including tighter background checks, efforts to reach bipartisan consensus on common gun control measures have failed.
Biden’s actions are restricted, and any attempts to restrict access would almost certainly be challenged in court by gun rights proponents, who see any restrictions as a breach of the Second Amendment.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Attorney General Merrick Garland are expected to accompany Biden to the Rose Garden. Several Democratic members of Congress, gun control activists, and local authorities are scheduled to attend.
Biden is also expected to announce that David Chipman, a gun control supporter, will be nominated to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, or ATF.
The White House detailed the executive actions expected, claiming that Biden’s directives to the Department of Justice would limit gun access.
Biden would order the Department of Justice to write regulations to minimize the proliferation of “ghost weapons,” which are untraceable firearms manufactured from parts purchased online.
Biden would also look at limiting access to stabilizing braces, which can potentially convert a weapon into a more lethal rifle while avoiding the same regulations as a rifle of comparable size.
Finally, he plans to request that the Department of Justice publish model “red flag” laws for states to use as models. If a person poses a threat to themselves or others, red flag laws enable family members or law enforcement officers to petition state courts to temporarily prevent them from possessing firearms.
Biden will also order the Department of Justice to publish a study on gun trafficking, which hasn’t been done since 2000. According to a White House fact sheet, he would also pledge funding for initiatives aimed at “reducing gun violence in urban neighborhoods by tools other than incarceration.”
Following the shootings in Georgia, Colorado, and California, Biden has been pressed by Democrats and gun control advocates to take concrete steps to address gun violence. Democrats in the House have passed gun control legislation, but even among Democrats in the Senate, there isn’t enough support to move the bill forward.
Biden has also been chastised by gun control groups for failing to make gun control reform a top priority of his administration, as he vowed during his presidential campaign.
Administration officials told reporters on Wednesday night that Thursday’s measures were just the first move, and that Biden will continue to seek legislative alternatives to gun violence.
One official said, “This is an initial series of steps to make progress on President Biden’s gun violence prevention agenda.” “At the same time, the administration will pursue legislative and executive measures. The president will continue to call on Congress to pass legislation to curb gun violence. “
Still, it’s unclear how much political capital Biden is willing to invest in getting gun control legislation passed on Capitol Hill, where Republicans are adamantly opposed to Democrats’ plans, particularly as he focuses on passing his American Jobs Plan and dealing with the pandemic.
Biden said at a press conference late last month that he was concentrating on other legislative goals, such as his infrastructure proposal.
When asked about gun control laws, he said, “It’s a matter of timing.” “As you’ve all seen, good leaders, even better than me, have been successful in large part because they know how to time, order, and prioritise what needs to be accomplished.”
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