JOIN USUS President Joe Biden to announce anti-gun violence measures
President Joe Biden is expected to unveil a series of executive actions addressing gun violence on Thursday, weeks after back-to-back mass shootings left 18 people dead and pushed the issue of gun legislation to the forefront for an administration tackling multiple crises.
Biden is also expected to announce his intent to nominate David Chipman, a gun control advocate, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, officials said. The bureau has not had a permanent director since 2015.
The moves come as Biden has been under pressure to address gun violence, but has made clear that pushing legislation through a blockade of Republican opposition is not feasible. Officials reiterated Wednesday that the proposals the president planned to unveil with Merrick Garland, the attorney general, were only a start and that the president would continue to call on Congress to take action.
On Thursday, the Justice Department will announce three initiatives to fight gun violence.
One rule would help stop the proliferation of so-called ghost guns — kits that allow a gun to be assembled from pieces. White House officials would not say whether the administration would ultimately seek to classify ghost guns as firearms, only that the department was trying to stop criminals from buying kits containing all of the components and directions to build one.
A second rule would make clear that when a device marketed as a stabilizing brace transforms a pistol into a short-barrel rifle, that weapon is subject to the requirements of the National Firearms Act. The gunman in the Boulder, Colorado, shooting last month used a pistol with an arm brace, making it more stable and accurate, officials said.
Finally, the Justice Department will also publish model “red flag” legislation for states. The measure would allow police officers and family members to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from people who may present a danger to themselves or others. While Biden cannot pass national red flag legislation without Congress, officials said the goal of the guidance was to make it easier for states that want to adopt it to do so. The department also plans to release a comprehensive report on firearms trafficking, which it has not done since 2000.