President Acts On Gun Reform & Wants Congress To Act

The epidemic of gun violence in the United States continues unabated -- with the nation averaging more than one mass shooting every day, and on track to have more than 40,000 gun deaths for the second year in a row. 

There is a lot that could be done without violating the Constitution's Second Amendment, but Congress is still refusing to act. At least the Republicans in Congress refuse to act. The house has passed a bill that would plug the holes in the background check law -- requiring all gun buyers, including those buying at gun shows or from a private seller, to first have a background check. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be killed by a Republican filibuster in the Senate. It seems likely that Congress will accomplish nothing to curb the epidemic of gun violence.

That's not good enough for President Biden. On Thursday, he issued some executive orders. They won't solve the problem completely (or even largely), but at least he is trying to do something. And he urged Congress to try and do something also.

Here, from Mother Jones, is what President Biden did:

Less than a month after mass shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, and Boulder, Colorado, left 18 people dead, President Biden called gun violence an “international embarrassment,” called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and announced a series of executive actions aimed at restricting access to firearms.

“Enough prayers,” he said in the Rose Garden Thursday. “Time for some action.”

Biden insisted that none of his executive actions violate the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms, noting that even the First Amendment has its limitations. He called on Congress to pass a national extreme risk protection order law, or “red flag” law, and announced an executive action directing the Justice Department to draft model legislation that would make it easier for states to pass such laws, meant to bar people from accessing firearms if they pose a threat to themselves or others.

Other aspects of Biden’s order are aimed at stopping the proliferation of homemade “ghost guns” that lack serial numbers, investing in community-based violence mitigation, and ensuring that the Justice Department publishes an annual report on firearms trafficking.