In a White House statement to the public on April 7, 2021, the Biden-Harris administration announced it’s initial six step plan to address gun violence in the United States saying, “The President is committed to taking action to reduce all forms of gun violence — community violence, mass shootings, domestic violence, and suicide by firearm.” (1). The same statement continues on to say that the current administration will not wait for congress and will begin making steps towards, “banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, repealing gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and investing in evidence-based community violence interventions.” (2).
The Six Steps -
1- “The Justice Department, within 30 days, will issue a proposed rule to help stop the proliferation of “ghost guns.”” (3)
These “ghost guns” are made up from kits which can be purchased and put together at home. It is believed by the Biden administration that when these firearms turn up at crime scenes, they are difficult to be traced due to the lack of serial number. The Justice Department will be suggesting rules to solve this.
2- “The Justice Department, within 60 days, will issue a proposed rule to make clear when a device marketed as a stabilizing brace effectively turns a pistol into a short-barreled rifle subject to the requirements of the National Firearms Act.” (4)
Point two focuses on handguns / pistols which are able to have a brace attached. The Biden administration believes these braced pistols skirt around Short Barreled Rifle (SBR) laws which were brought into play in 1934 by then President Franklin Roosevelt to curb Mobster gun crime, as SBR’s were believed to be their preferred firearm. (5)
3- “The Justice Department, within 60 days, will publish model “red flag” legislation for states.” (6)
These red flag laws allow law enforcement, or family members of a firearm owner to put a call in and have said firearm owner barred / banned for a certain amount of time from owning and being around guns if it is believed they are a hazard to themselves or others. This is a tough one as not everyone gets along with their families, and people may lie about others, so let’s see what else they add into this. The Justice Department will also make it easier for states at their level to create other red flag laws.
4- “The Administration is investing in evidence-based community violence interventions.” (7)
Looking at things other than incarceration to help reduce gun violence in communities. This can include helping to find work and job training, setting up a, “webinar and toolkit to educate states on how they can use Medicaid to reimburse certain community violence intervention programs, like Hospital-Based Violence Interventions.” (8) and also using federal agencies to begin making changes to, “26 different programs to direct vital support to community violence intervention programs as quickly as possible.” (9). A full list of agency actions can be found here, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-more-details-on-the-biden-harris-administrations-investments-in-community-violence-interventions/. (10)
5- “The Justice Department will issue an annual report on firearms trafficking.” (11)
In 2000, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) issued a review regarding its investigations into firearms trafficking. It is believed a lot has changed since 2000, and that this is worth re-doing in 2021. It will be the job of the Justice Department to deliver a new report.
6- “The President will nominate David Chipman to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.” (12)
The ATF has not had a proper confirmed director since 2015, and President Biden finds David Chipman acceptable to take this position as he has worked in the ATF for 25 years. Although the NRA opposes the choice, claiming Chipman is a gun control extremist. (13)
Some states however, believe that these laws are unconstitutional and look to create their own laws to void the federal law by the Biden admin. When questioned, President Biden said, “But no amendment, no amendment to the Constitution is absolute.” (14)
-Trent Naz
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Sources -
(Img1) https://pixabay.com/photos/youth-weapon-pistol-beretta-2169434/
(1) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(2) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(3) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(4) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(5) Shepardson, N., 2021. Bill Would Roll Back Prohibition-Era Gun Rules. [online] Reason.com. Available at: <https://reason.com/2019/12/06/bill-would-roll-back-prohibition-era-gun-rules/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(6) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(7) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(8) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(9) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(10) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: More Details on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investments in Community Violence Interventions. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-more-details-on-the-biden-harris-administrations-investments-in-community-violence-interventions/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(11) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(12) The White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
(13) NRA-ILA. 2021. NRA Opposes David Chipman for ATF Director. [online] Available at: <https://www.nraila.org/articles/20210409/nra-opposes-david-chipman-for-atf-director> [Accessed 13 April 2021].
(14) Downing, S., 2021. Biden’s anti-constitutional gun orders could be nullified by this 2013 Alaska law. [online] Must Read Alaska. Available at: <https://mustreadalaska.com/bidens-anti-constitutional-gun-orders-could-be-nullified-by-this-2013-alaska-law/> [Accessed 13 April 2021].
