SAN DIEGO (AP) – President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Tuesday aimed at increasing the number of background checks for gun purchases, promoting better and safer gun storage and ensuring that U.S. law enforcement agencies get the most out of them. many. bipartisan gun control laws were enacted last summer.
The Democratic president plans to unveil his latest efforts in curbing gun violence in a speech from Monterey Park, California, said a senior White House official, who discussed the order ahead of signing on the condition of anonymity. In January, gunmen stormed a dance hall in a community near Los Angeles and shot 20 people, killing 11, after Chinese New Year celebrations.
Biden’s rhetoric has only gotten stronger on guns — he calls for a ban on so-called assault weapons regularly in speeches — and Democrats haven’t pushed their vocal anti-gun platforms even during the Obama administration, when Biden was vice president. But Biden has been emboldened by the midterms after his usual talk about gun control did not result in major losses, and he hopes to continue to push for strong change when he runs in 2024, aides said.
Biden invited Brandon Tsay, the 26-year-old who fought a semi-automatic pistol away from a gunman in Monterey Park, to his State of the Union address and praised the youth’s heroism.
“They saved lives. It’s time we did the same,” Biden said in a speech to Congress. “Ban assault weapons once and for all.”
But his power was limited to overriding bipartisan legislation passed by Congress last summer, the most sweeping gun violence bill in decades. It was after the killing of 19 students and two teachers at the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school.
“Many lives are taken by gun violence,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “But he believes we need to do more. You’ll hear him calling on Congress to act and not stop … that needs to continue.”
Biden will order the Cabinet to work on a plan to create a better government to support communities affected by gun violence, a senior White House official who saw the order said. The plan would call on Attorney General Merrick Garland to introduce rules for federally licensed gun dealers to know they must undergo background checks as part of their licenses.
Biden also ordered better reporting of ballistics data from federal law enforcement to a clearinghouse that would allow federal, state and local law enforcement to match shell casings with guns. But local and state law enforcement agencies are not required to report ballistics data, and many do not, making the clearinghouse less effective.
And the president will ask the Federal Trade Commission to issue a public report analyzing how gun manufacturers market to minors and use military imagery to market to the general public.
A bill passed last year, known as the Safer Communities Act, is seen by gun control advocates as a good start, but it doesn’t go far enough. After the legislation was signed, there were 11 other mass shootings, according to a database of mass killings since 2006 maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. The killings do not include shootings in which fewer than four people are killed — and gun violence is also on the rise nationwide.
“President Biden’s executive order today is a major step forward for public safety,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “This is the latest example of President Biden’s leadership on gun safety, and we’re proud to stand with him as he takes strong action to help close the gun dealer loophole — which will expand background checks on gun sales, to keep weapons out of their hands.” dangerous people and save lives.”
Biden will also direct the Cabinet to make sure that law enforcement agencies understand the benefits of the new law, especially regarding the red flag law, also known as extreme risk protection orders, which are intended to remove guns from people with the potential to act violently and prevent them. to avoid hurting yourself or others.
Last month, the Justice Department committed more than $200 million to help states and the District of Columbia administer red flag laws and other crisis intervention programs.