Biden reveals gun plan
President shares new steps to address recent shootings.
Tracey Fountain, a mother and medical lab technician from Glenmont, felt a ripple of hope as she watched on her phone while President Joe Biden announced six new executive actions to curb gun violence Thursday.
Hundreds of miles away, the White House Rose Garden bustled with the nation’s most prominent gun violence prevention advocates, many of whom had long advocated for reforms like Fountain; most of whom had lost a child, spouse, sibling or were injured themselves by a firearm.
Biden called gun violence an “epidemic” and shared new steps his administration would take to address the problem on the heels of multiple recent mass shootings. Biden has been under immense pressure from advocates and Democrats to use his presidential powers to act after legislation on firearms has stalled in Congress for years.
In a 15-minute speech, Biden called gun deaths in the U.S. — more than 11,000 this year — an “international embarrassment” and “a blemish on our character as a nation.”
Biden’s new actions include directing the U.S. Justice Department to develop a rule so “ghost guns” — weapons built from kits — are assigned serial numbers and buyers are subject to federal background checks. He said the Justice Department will also issue a rule to regulate certain firearm devices that can effectively turn pistols into short-barreled rifles, like the weapon used in a March shooting in Boulder, Colo.
Biden also directed the Justice Department to publish model “red-flag law” legislation for states to implement to help courts temporarily remove guns from people who pose a threat to themselves or others, and to release an annual report on firearm trafficking, the first since 2000. Biden appointed a gun-control advocate and former federal agent, David Chipman, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. The administration will also invest in community violence intervention programs.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., hailed the actions as “significant steps” to save lives.
“As the original author of the Brady Law, I have long championed the strong gun-safety measures the president discussed today, including recently calling for commonsense regulation of the sale of ghost guns,” Schumer said.
Very few states, including New York, have laws specifically prohibiting the purchase, possession or sale of ghost guns. Several lawmakers have proposed bills that would do that.
But state Attorney General Letitia James has asserted that the sale of even unfinished assault weapons violates state penal and general business laws.
The state Senate passed a proposal in February to specifically regulate ghost guns in New York, but it faces opposition in the state Assembly. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed a “red flag law,” or extreme risk protection order preventing people who shows signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing firearms.
Some Americans worry the further regulation of gun sales and possession will make it harder for them to use firearms for legal recreational purposes or protection.
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, Rschuylerville, said Biden on Thursday proposed to take away Americans’ guns and she has emphasized in recent fundraising messages to supporters that he intends to pass more “bans on guns.”
“President Biden’s series of gun grab executive orders are unconstitutional and bypass the will of Congress and the American people,” Stefanik said. “President Biden and the House Democrats’ anti-2nd amendment agenda is unconstitutional and infringes on the rights of law-abiding citizens in the North Country and across America.”
House Minority Leader Kevin Mccarthy, R-calif., said Biden is “soft on crime” but tramples Second Amendment rights.
By the standards of some gun safety advocates, Biden’s executive actions are modest first steps; Biden framed them as his “initial” efforts, with more to come. The president also outlined his goals for legislation, including bolstering federal background checks, making it easier for law enforcement to remove guns from domestic abusers, limiting the availability of assault-style weapons and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers.
Schumer said it is essential to pass gun reform legislation and he reiterated his commitment to bring a bill to the Senate floor. It’s unclear that either of the recently passed House bills to reform the federal background check system for firearms can win enough Democratic votes to pass.
Fountain said she and other mothers in the group Moms Demand Action are launching a road-trip to pressure senators in 22 states to pass legislation to expand federal background check laws to gun sales and private transactions. Fountain said she will participate “virtually” by sharing letters, stories and photos.
“Having a daughter is a huge part of it for me,” she said. “I’d like there to be less gun violence in general, just so I know she is growing up safer.”