KEY POINTS

  • President Biden released a set of policies to address gun violence in the U.S.
  • The measure would impose a crackdown on "ghost guns"
  • The federal government will review the use of stabilizing braces on pistols

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced a series of new firearm measures in an effort to address gun violence in the U.S. in the wake of recent mass shootings.

During an appearance in the White House Rose Garden, Biden revealed a set of moderate measures to combat gun violence. These include a system to make it easier for people to flag family members who shouldn’t be allowed to purchase guns, a review on the use of stabilizing braces on pistols and a crackdown on “ghost guns,” which are firearms assembled from kits.

Stores selling “ghost gun” kits do not conduct background checks. They also allow guns to be assembled from pieces without serial numbers. This makes improvised guns appealing to criminal organizations that want easy access to untraceable firearms.

“We’ve got a long way to go — it seems like we always have a long way to go,” Biden said in his remarks. “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it's an international embarrassment.”

“I want to see these kits treated as firearms under the Gun Control Act,” the president added.

Biden on Thursday announced he is nominating gun control advocate David Chipman to lead the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The president also pushed back against arguments that the new set of policies would infringe upon a person’s right to bear arms.

“Nothing I'm about to recommend in any way impinges upon the Second Amendment,” Biden said.

The president has faced immense pressure from Democrats and gun control advocates to address gun violence in the country after the fatal mass shootings in Georgia, Colorado and California.

On March 16, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long shot and killed eight people — six of whom were Asians — at three massage parlors in Atlanta, committing the worst mass killing incident in the U.S. in two years.

On March 22, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, opened fire at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, killing 10 people, including 51-year-old police officer Eric Talley.

The suspect purchased the weapon he used, a Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic pistol, legally. He had passed a background check prior to the purchase.

US President Joe Biden calls for a ban on military style weapons and large ammunition clips in private hands. "We should also ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines," says Biden at a White House event.
US President Joe Biden calls for a ban on military style weapons and large ammunition clips in private hands. "We should also ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines," says Biden at a White House event. DC POOL
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