Biden takes action for gun control in the US 1:16
(CNN) -
Under pressure to act in the face of the recent wave of high-profile mass shootings, President Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled a package of measures that seeks to confront the scourge of gun violence that he called a "stain on the nation. ».
"Gun violence in this country is an epidemic," Biden said in the Rose Garden, while addressing an audience of legislators and Americans affected by this phenomenon.
"And that is an international shame," he added.
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Biden repeatedly argued that these executive actions on gun control do not affect the right to carry them, enshrined in the Second Amendment.
However, the measures include efforts to restrict so-called "ghost weapons", which can be assembled using parts and instructions purchased online.
Biden's actions are limited in scope.
Also, they fall short of the steps the president has promised to take in order to pressure Congress.
Still they fulfill the president's commitment last month to implement "common sense" measures on their own.
Among them, the decision to increase regulation for gun mounts that make shots more accurate.
Precisely, something that is directly related to the shooting last month in Boulder, Colorado, because such a device was used there.
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First steps
Biden also disclosed that he is proposing gun control activist David Chipman to head the Agency on Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which has not had a permanent director since 2015.
The president emphasized that the announcements are only the first steps in addressing gun violence, which will require further action from Congress.
Among them, the prohibition of assault weapons or rules that require universal background checks.
Biden, who is in the midst of pushing for a massive infrastructure plan, previously expressed uncertainty about the likelihood of passing extensive new gun laws.
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Even this Thursday he recognized the persistent struggle to convince Washington to take action on a seemingly intricate issue.
"We have a long way to go," he said, "it seems we always have a long way to go."
But he insisted that lawmakers must break the pattern.
"They have offered many thoughts and prayers, members of Congress, but they have not passed a single new federal law to reduce gun violence," he added.
"Enough prayers, it's time for some action," he emphasized.
Biden's actions on guns
As the nation's stance on guns has evolved, Biden has been front and center at nearly every important moment along the way for more than three decades.
From the triumph of a 10-year ban on assault weapons in 1994 to the disappointment of defeat over universal background checks following the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre.
The recent shootings in Georgia and Colorado raised the question within the West Wing about how much political capital the president should devote to the issue.
Precisely, an issue that has so often resulted in frustration.
Like former President Barack Obama, Biden determined that executive actions are a more viable method to move forward, given that Congress is tightly divided and there is a list of other pressing priorities.
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Biden said stripping gun manufacturers of liability protection would be one of his first legislative priorities on gun control.
It is "the only industry in America, a $ 1 billion industry, that cannot be sued," the president said.
"Imagine how different it would be if that same exemption had been available to tobacco companies," he added.
The role of Congress
This issue was part of a list of actions that Biden said Congress should take to combat gun violence.
Although, he added, it could potentially have a huge effect.
For his part, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer promised to schedule votes on gun laws and confirm Chipman.
“The executive actions of the president are critical.
But they are not a substitute for meaningful legislation to tackle the epidemic of gun violence.
The American people demand action from Congress.
And I have committed to voting in the plenary session of the United States Senate on laws for the prevention of gun violence, "he said in a statement.
"I also hope that the Senate will quickly process and confirm the election of the president to lead the ATF, which is excellently qualified," he added.
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The ATF position is often implicated in tense gun control politics.
Chipman is a former ATF agent serving as senior policy adviser at Giffords, the organization run by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who became a gun control advocate after being shot in 2011.
Biden's new rules target ghost weapons and mounts
So-called ghost weapons are those handcrafted or self-assembled firearms that do not have serial numbers.
Some can be made in as little as 30 minutes using kits and parts purchased online.
Biden ordered the Justice Department to issue a proposed rule to "stop the proliferation" of those weapons.
Although, a senior government official declined to elaborate on how the rule, which will be delivered in 30 days, would specifically work.
Another rule would point against stabilizing gun mounts, which aid in firearm accuracy and control recoil.
Regarding these devices, a senior administration official argued that they turn pistols into short-barreled rifles.
Under the new standard, stabilizer supports would be under the regulations of the National Firearms Law, including the registration requirement.
Last month's attacker in Boulder, Colorado, used a modified pistol with a brace, according to a law enforcement source.
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Biden also announced new investments in intervention programs within communities prone to violence.
In addition to directing the Department of Justice to issue model "red flag" laws for states that allow temporary removal of firearms from people deemed at high risk of hurting themselves or others.
Also, a full report on firearms trafficking.
Teamwork
Taken together, the actions are the first real steps by the Biden administration to combat gun violence.
Within the White House, executive action efforts have been led by the Director of the White House National Policy Council, Susan Rice, and the Director of the Office of Public Participation, Cedric Richmond.
This is what administration officials and arms security advocacy groups told CNN.
That included meeting with some of those groups and brainstorming steps that Biden could take on his own.
Some activists were clamoring for action earlier, pointing to Biden's promise to prioritize gun control during his campaign.
Biden made the announcements Thursday from the Rose Garden.
He was accompanied by his attorney general, Merrick Garland, whose agency will be responsible for writing the proposed rules.
"We are here today, not in a moment of tragedy, but in the midst of lasting tragedy," Garland said.
The official also detailed some of the steps he was tasked with, such as efforts to measure arms trafficking "in a data-driven way" with an updated ATF study that will evaluate weapons from 3D printers and new ones. technologies.
CNN's Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
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