President Joe Biden will announce six executive actions on Thursday aimed at tackling the “epidemic” of gun violence in the United States, senior government officials said Wednesday evening, the administration’s first concrete steps to address a problem Biden has struggled with since his time. in the U.S. Senate.
“We know that Americans die from gun violence every day in this country,” an official told reporters in a phone call that predicted the actions of the executive. “Therefore, we pursue an agenda that addresses not only mass shootings, but also community violence that proportionally affects black and brown Americans, domestic violence, and suicide with firearms.”
The actions come as the slow return to normalcy in American life has led to a succession of shootings of mass casualties across the country and as gun control advocates have been anxious for the focus of Biden in the recovery of the pandemic may come at the expense of a problem. which has languished without significant legislative action in Congress for decades.
The orders, according to administration officials, who stressed that they are only “initial” reforms and will likely be followed by additional actions in the coming months, touch on a number of issues related to the purchase of weapons, the publication of “Red Flag” legislation a roadmap for statewide action and data collection on gun trafficking, as well as some specific issues related to recent mass shootings, including the need for weapons to be they need a stabilizer — like the one used in a supermarket in Boulder last month — subject to the requirements of the National Firearms Act. The act requires these weapons to be registered with the federal government.
Actions also include ordering the Justice Department to draft a proposal to stop the proliferation of so-called “ghost weapons,” which are assembled from kits and cannot be tracked by law enforcement. Politician reported this provision for the first time.
Finally, the president will announce his intention to appoint David Chipman as director of the Office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Chipman, a former office special agent, is a senior adviser to the gun control group founded by former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who nearly died in a 2011 shooting that claimed six lives.
“There is no one better to run ATF right now,” an administration official said. “It will help the federal government better enforce our firearms laws, while respecting the Second Amendment.”
The actions come as Democrats have increasingly pressured citizens over the White House to address gun violence in the United States. Last week, more than 100 House Democrats signed a letter calling on Biden to “take executive action” to better regulate assault-style rifles like those used in the Boulder shooting. which will make one of the orders.
“For too long, gun manufacturers for the purpose of circumventing the national firearms law have designed and marketed AR-15-style concealed firearms that fire firearms,” the letter states. , written by representatives of Mike Thompson (D-CA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Val Demings (D-FL) and Ed Perlmutter (D-CO). “The concealable firearms of aggression that fire firearms pose an unreasonable threat to our communities and should be fully regulated by the National Firearms Act in accordance with intent and history. of the law “.
But the actions also demonstrate the limitations of Biden’s ability to address armed violence to the point that many advocates have long called for without congressional cooperation, particularly Chipman’s nomination. The ATF has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2015, and the former special agent’s role as a staunch supporter of gun reform makes the prospects for his confirmation bleak in a tightly divided Senate. .
“The president will continue to reiterate his message, which is that we need Congress to act,” an administration official said Wednesday. “These are bipartisan policies with the American people: the vast majority of people support universal background checks, they support other actions to reduce gun violence in the country. It’s been a long, long time since the Congress acted ”.