Joe Biden, under pressure to act after a series of mass shootings, announced his first steps to curb the ‘epidemic’ and ‘international embarrassment’ of gun violence in America.
The president anticipated the coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery during the first two and a half months of his presidency. But a series of recent shooting tragedies in Georgia, Colorado and California have led to renewed calls for urgent action against guns.
Biden said he ordered the Department of Justice to compile the regulations on the sale of so-called “ghost guns,” which are undetectable firearms.
Other executive actions include a push for ‘red flag laws’ that allow the law and local law enforcement to remove guns from people who are considered a risk to communities.
On Thursday, Biden was added by Kamala Harris, Vice President Merrick Garland, the Attorney General, as well as members of Congress through the issue in the sunshine of the Rose House Rose Garden.
“Gun violence in this country is an epidemic and it’s an international embarrassment,” Biden said. He pointed out that five people were killed on Wednesday – including young children – in a shooting at a house near Rock Hill in South Carolina.
About 316 people are shot every day in America and 106 of them die, he noted, “to hit black and brown communities the hardest”. According to the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, gun violence will cost the country $ 280 billion a year. “It’s an epidemic, for God’s sake, and it needs to stop,” said an emotional Biden.
The White House gathering also included family members of parents who had lost loved ones to the plague. “They know what it’s like to bury a piece of their soul deep in the earth,” Biden remarked, enduring his own loss. “They understand that.”
Looking for a paralysis in Washington that has confused former President Barack Obama, even after horrific mass shootings, Biden said he is announcing immediate concrete actions he can now take without Congress. Republicans have long opposed the fundamental reform, citing the second amendment to the constitution that protects the right to bear arms.
“Nothing I’m about to recommend affects the second amendment,” Biden insisted. ‘These are fraudulent arguments that indicate that this is the second amendment right at stake that we are talking about. But no constitutional amendment is absolute. You can not “Fire!” Do not shout. in a crowded movie theater and call it freedom of speech. ”
Biden said the regulations on the purchase of ‘ghost weapons’ would be tightened. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, more than 30% of the illegal weapons confiscated in some areas of California are ‘ghost guns.’
“You can go buy the kit,” Biden said. ‘They do not have serial numbers, so they cannot be traced when they appear at a crime scene, and the buyers do not have to do background checks to buy the kit to make the gun.
“As a result, anyone from a criminal to a terrorist can buy this kit and assemble a weapon in as little as 30 minutes. I want to see these kits considered as firearms under the Gun Control Act, which requires the seller and manufacturers to make the key parts with serial numbers and examine the buyers in the background when they step in to buy the package. ‘
The Department of Justice is also publishing model legislation within 60 days that is intended to make it easier for states to pass their own ‘red flag’ laws. Such laws allow individuals to request a court to allow the police to confiscate weapons from a person who is considered a danger to themselves or others.
“Red flag laws can stop mass shooters before they can carry out their violent plan,” Biden said.
The department will also issue proposed rules within 60 days that make it clear that devices marketed as ‘stabilizing brackets’ that effectively turn pistols into guns are subject to the National Firearms Act, which requires the registration of firearms. Other measures include, for the first time since 2000, a report by the Department of Justice on the arms trade.
In addition, the White House will fund more than $ 1 billion for evidence-based community intervention and prevention. And Biden has appointed a gun control lawyer, David Chipman, to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
But many of his promises in his election campaign – such as banning assault weapons altogether and requiring background checks on most arms sales – require action by Congress. He called on the Senate to pass bills to close loopholes that allow arms buyers to avoid background checks, and to restrict access to firearms to people found to be abusive by courts.
‘They offered many thoughts and prayers, members of Congress, but they did not pass a single new federal law to reduce gun violence. Enough prayers. Time for action. ”
Thursday’s executive action was praised by campaigners for preventing gun violence as a promising start. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Sense in America, told the MSNBC network: “We are delighted with what happened today. This is a great victory for the gun security movement. We applaud President Biden for his strong leadership. ”
Brian Lemek, executive director of the Brady Political Action Committee, which focuses on gun violence, added: ‘What can no longer be clear today is that elections matter. Joe Biden has been a campaigner for the prevention of gun violence for decades and today he is still one … Now he needs a partner, and we urge Congress to come to the table and come up with the two common solutions for common sense. succeed that will keep our children and our families safe. ”
But the top Republican in the House, Kevin McCarthy, immediately objected. “President Biden plans to announce his efforts to trample our constitutional 2A rights through executive fiat,” McCarthy tweeted. “He does not like crime, but violates the rights of law-abiding citizens.”
And the National Rifle Association has promised to fight Biden’s movements. Amy Hunter, a spokeswoman, said: “Biden has made it clear that he is committed to restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, while ignoring criminals and predicting substantive measures that will actually keep Americans safe.”