White House’s orders block access to some guns

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Thursday it was closing a loophole in the gun laws that allowed the acquisition of machine guns and other dangerous weapons, and banning U. S. military- style firearms that were sent overseas from returning to this country.

The announcement of the two new executive actions came as Vice President Joe Biden swore in the new head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the bureau’s first Senate- confirmed director. Biden pledged that the White House will not give up its gun control fight despite congressional inaction after the mass shooting at a Connecticut school late last year.

“The president and I remain committed to getting these things done,” Biden said at the White House ceremony installing B. Todd Jones as the ATF’s first permanent director in seven years. “If Congress won’t act, we’ll fight for a new Congress. It’s that simple.”

In the past, individuals seeking to avoid personal background checks for machine guns and short-barreled shot guns have claimed they were “trusts or corporations.” But a new ATF regulation will close that loophole and require them to pass background checks. Last year, the ATF said, it received more than 39,000 requests for transfers of these firearms to trusts and corporations.

“It ’ s a very artful dodge,” Biden said.

The other executive action was aimed at keeping U. S. militaryweapons sold to foreign governments from being re- imported to individuals in this country. Since 2005, the U. S. government has authorized requests to re- import more than 250,000 of these firearms. Under the newrule, only firearms for museums and similar exceptions would be allowed. The executive actions drew quick criticism from gun rights’ organizations, which said the requirements will not reduce gun violence but instead only continue the president’s fight against legitimate gun enthusiasts. Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, said, “This is an outrage. The only people being hurt are lawabiding citizens.”

But Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York said in a joint statement they hoped the executive actions will spur Congress to adopt even more gun control measures. “Everyday, 33 people are murdered with guns in our country,” they said. “It’s time for Congress to stop dragging its feet.”