Biden to announce executive order to reduce gun purchase and violence

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Mar 2023 17:34

The order is expected to aid the public and the government in better perceiving the problem and supporting laws to hold "rogue gun dealers" responsible.

US President Joe Biden standing for a moment of silence for those affected by gun violence in Washington in December 2020 (AP)

According to the White House on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden will announce an executive order intended to ramp up the number of background checks done before firearms are sold in an attempt to reduce gun violence.

He is expected to make the announcement during his visit to Monterey Park, California, where a gunman murdered 11 and injured nine back in January at a ballroom dancing studio.

In a fact sheet, the White House said, "Today, in Monterey Park, California, President Biden will announce an Executive Order with the goal of increasing the number of background checks conducted before firearm sales, moving the US as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation."

Hope to catch 'rogue gun dealers'

Included in the executive order will be the condition to magnify the effectiveness of "red flag" laws, encourage the safe storage of guns, and provide direction for the government to offer the public and lawmakers guidance to manage federally licensed firearm dealers violating the law.

Additionally, it will include directing attorney generals to release records of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives pertaining to the inspection of the dealers in violation. Furthermore, the order entails directing the Secretary of Defense to "further firearm and public safety practices through Department of Defense acquisition of firearms, consistent with applicable law," as per the fact sheet.

These conditions have given hope to the White House to expect the order to aid the public and the government in better perceiving the problem and supporting laws to hold "rogue gun dealers" responsible.

In light of that, Biden is aiming for a report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) meant to analyze the technique in which gun manufacturers use marketing aimed at minors and the population in general.

The Gun Violence Archive found in December that 6,023 children, 17 years old or younger, were killed or injured by gunfire in 2022 - the highest number of such incidents ever recorded in the organization's nine-year history.