Other executive actions remain unclear. But stakeholders have speculated that the president could announce regulations on hidden firearms in assault; ban on the purchase of firearms for those convicted of domestic violence against their spouses; and federal guidance on home storage security measures.
More than 100 House Democrats wrote to Biden last week urging him to act on the hidden assault-style firearms, which are similar to the one used in the Colorado shooting that killed ten people.
Another announcement Biden could make Thursday is the launch of his nominee as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which will play a key role in any action by the executive on guns. His nominee could be difficult to get a 50-50 split between Republicans and Democrats through the Senate. The ATF has mostly had acting directors since the position was confirmed by the Senate. Todd Jones was confirmed as ATF director in 2013 after a long term as acting director.
In response to criticism from gun control advocacy groups that its government has moved too slowly on executive action, the Biden White House has responded that legislative corrections are a priority. Biden is likely to make the same point on Thursday, except that he expresses support for bills to expand background checks and close the so-called Charleston loophole that allows a gun from licensed gun dealers to be transferred before a completed background check. He is also likely to push for legislation to keep guns away from people suspected of being a danger to themselves or others, as well as a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
The White House declined to comment. But a senior administration official recently confirmed that the White House is closing down its actions and could announce them in a series of stages.
Biden’s expected announcement comes as arms sales skyrocket amid a year of pandemic quarantines, a summer of racial unrest, and the president’s victory in the 2020 election, promising aggressive pressure to reduce gun violence. In the year 2020, there were a record number of gun killings in the United States.
“The administration has worked hard from day one to pursue actions to reduce gun violence,” the senior administration official said recently. “We understand the urgency. No one understands the urgency more than the president and looks forward to taking the first actions we can take. ‘
The White House has held several meetings on gun violence with prominent groups campaigning for gun restrictions, community-based groups and survivors of gun violence. The meetings were chaired by Susan Rice, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Cedric Richmond, Director of the Office of Public Involvement.
Community groups welcomed Biden’s decision to include $ 5 billion for community violence prevention programs in the $ 2 trillion infrastructure package it announced last week.
“With this investment of our federal tax money, we have an unprecedented opportunity to build an infrastructure of peace to heal and disrupt cycles of violence,” said a coalition of community groups called Fund Peace that funded it.
Biden has a long history of handling gun laws, although his most recent attempt ultimately failed remarkably. After the shooting in Newtown, Conn., President Barack Obama asked his then vice president to push through what he hoped would be the biggest firearms restrictions since the Clinton administration. But after months of meetings and limited executive action, a bill on the floor of the Senate has died to require extensive background checks.
The Senate is now even less democratic, divided 50-50. In any bill, at least ten Republicans must agree with all Democrats, which is unlikely.
Igor Volsky, executive director of advocacy group Guns Down America, said he hoped Biden would unveil a comprehensive plan that included regulations, executive actions, funding and a strategy to get legislation passed by Congress.
“The president has not only recruited on executive actions when it comes to gun violence,” Volsky said. “He has promised to propose a comprehensive comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence. Given the violence he inherited, we expect him to keep his promise. ”
Reported by Betsy Woodruff and Josh Gerstein