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The Biden government has unveiled several executive actions aimed at curbing gun violence, in the aftermath of the Atlanta and Boulder mass shootings. The government also plans to appoint David Chipman, a former federal agent and advocate for gun control, to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The action includes an instruction that the Department of Justice will issue proposed regulations on ‘ghost weapons’ – unregistered firearms that can be compiled from parts within the next month.
Joe Biden will also instruct the Department of Justice to clarify regulations to ensure that pistols equipped with stabilizing brackets, which essentially convert them into guns, will be regulated under the National Firearms Act. Pistols are cheaper and easier to carry across state lines, while guns are more regulated. The suspect in the Boulder shooting used a pistol with a prop that looks and works like a gun, and uses the same ammunition as the infamous AR-15, but is not regulated like a gun under current laws.
And the president will ask various agencies to direct more resources to community violence prevention measures, and call on the Department of Justice to develop “red flag” model laws – allowing family members to take courts to remove firearms from people who considered a threat. – for states to record and adopt. Several states, including Colorado, already have laws on red flags on the books.
Officials said these new measures are just the beginning, and that the government will encourage Democrats in Congress to adopt more reforms on gun control and consider other executive measures to reduce gun violence.
Biden, who as vice president was responsible for leading the Obama administration’s efforts to prevent violence against violence, promised ambitious reforms while campaigning for the presidency. In the run-up to the 2020 election, he promised to introduce legislation requiring background checks on all arms sales, banning the sale of firearms online and banning the production and sale of high-capacity assault weapons and magazines – and those already in circulation. , regulate or repurchase. . Gun control advocates were disappointed by the president’s lack of immediate, early action after taking office.
The appointment of Chipman as ATF director could be a first step towards more action. The post has been vacant since 2015. But Chipman faces an uphill battle in the Senate. Although the Democrats have a slim majority, even moderates can tire Chiman’s strong position against all attack weapons and other restrictions.
The enactment of gun control legislation by the Senate will be even more difficult, with Republicans strongly opposed to the legislation. After the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, Biden did not enforce gun control legislation. Although the Democrats then had a majority, the bill could not garner enough support to overcome a filibuster. Democrats now have a narrower lead in the Senate.