President Biden addresses need for gun sense laws after a day of mass shootings across the US
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.
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.
over 70% of the public, regardless of political party want to expand background checks.
