The debate on gun control continues. (Reference Image: David Mulder-Flickr)
US President Joe Biden will announce a series of executive actions on gun control on Thursday. In addition, it will nominate David Chipman as the new head of the Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), according to White House officials.
The announcement comes due to pressure Biden has faced from Democrats and gun control activists to take immediate action on gun violence in the wake of recent mass shootings in Georgia, Colorado and California.
Biden is expected to order the Justice Department to issue proposals to curb the proliferation of “ghost weapons” and a proposal on how to better regulate stabilizer devices.
It will also ask the Justice Department to issue model “red flag” legislation for states to follow.
“Ghost pistols” are homemade guns, often made from parts purchased online, and do not have traceable serial numbers.
Red flag laws allow family members or law enforcement to petition a state court to temporarily block people’s access to firearms if they pose a danger to themselves or others.
Biden will also order the Justice Department to issue a new report on firearms trafficking, something that has not been done since 2000.
An administration official argued that this will give lawmakers the information they need to help tackle firearms trafficking.
The president is also expected to announce that his administration is investing in evidence-based community violence interventions that provide strategies to “reduce gun violence in urban communities through tools other than incarceration,” according to a fact sheet shared by the White House. .
“This is an initial set of actions to advance President Biden’s gun violence reduction agenda,” an unidentified official told NBC.
“The administration will seek legislative and executive action at the same time. They will continue to listen to the president ask Congress to pass legislation to reduce armed violence, “he concluded.