To prevent firearms from falling into “dangerous hands,” President Joe Biden signed an order on Tuesday mandating stricter background checks and wider application of “red flag” regulations.
On Tuesday afternoon, Biden will meet with the families of the eleven individuals who were killed and the nine who were injured in a mass shooting at a Lunar New Year celebration in January in Monterey Park, California, to discuss strategies to end gun violence.
The White House has stated that this action will bring the United States closer to universal background checks without the need for additional legislation. The gun business would be held “accountable,” and law enforcement would have an easier time identifying and apprehending shooters.
Fox News reported earlier this month that Biden will prohibit so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazines “come hell or high water.”
The White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated on Monday that President Joe Biden “thinks we need to do more” to reduce gun violence.
‘Too many people have been killed by guns,’ Jean-Pierre added. You’ll hear him urge Congress to take action; he’ll say, “We can’t afford to slow down here.”
The action follows last year’s passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden. He urged lawmakers in that measure to take more action against gun violence. The measure was introduced to prevent mass shootings and to push for stricter background checks and “red flag” rules for gun sales to those between the ages of 18 and 21.
He has asked lawmakers to do things like “ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” “require background checks for all gun sales,” “make sure guns are stored safely,” “close the dating violence restraining order loophole,” and “take away gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability,” according to the release.
Also, Biden has requested that the FTC investigate the practices of the firearms industry regarding the sale of firearms to minors.
According to the synopsis, the presidential order also instructs U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to devise and implement a plan to prevent previously disqualified individuals from purchasing firearms.
Records of ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) inspections of illegal gun dealers were released to the public by Garland, with Biden’s approval.
President Biden has tasked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with reducing the number of firearms that go missing or are stolen during transit by coordinating with carriers and shippers. The Justice Department advised him to take this action, which he duly took.
The number of weapons reported lost or stolen during transportation between federally registered firearms dealers increased from over 1,700 in 2018 to more than 6,100 in 2022, an increase of more than 250%, according to ATF data.
To curb gun violence, Biden wants the federal government to exercise its authority, according to a senior administration official who spoke to The Washington Post.
The president will “keep advocating for common sense gun safety regulations,” the person added. “As a stopgap measure, however, [the president] is pushing for the federal government to exhaust all available resources to curb gun violence. This executive order fulfills that function.”