Biden announces new gun regulation and names ATF nominee

On Apr 11, 2022

The regulation on so-called “ghost guns” — unregulated, untraceable weapons made from kits — will address a critical gap in the government’s ability to track them by requiring background checks before purchase and serial numbers on some of the components. Though ghost guns make up a relatively small share of the guns recovered by law enforcement, they have been seen with increasing frequency in recent years.

Biden brought one of the kits to the Rose Garden on Monday, declaring the new rules “basic common sense” before holding aloft one of the weapons made from the gear.

“If you buy a couch you have to assemble, it’s still a couch. If you order a package like this one over here that includes that parts that you need and directs the assembly of a functioning firearm, you bought a gun,” he declared, striding over to the kit and demonstrating the ease of constructing the weapon.

“It doesn’t take very long,” he said. “Anyone can order it in the mail.”

Biden also named Steve Dettelbach, a former US attorney from Ohio, as his nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The President’s previous nominee was forced to withdraw amid opposition in the Senate.

“This mission of this agency isn’t controversial — it’s public safety,” Biden said.

What you should know about ghost guns, ahead of Biden's expected announcement on new regulations

The moves came as gun violence and crime have ticked up in the United States, putting pressure on the White House to take action. A rash of shootings over the weekend underscored the emergency: Four people, including two teens, were shot shortly after a Major League Baseball game in Washington, DC, on Saturday night, police said. In Illinois, six people were found injured after a shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood.

Police are also investigating a shooting at a birthday party in Indianapolis where six people were shot and one person was killed. And two people were also killed and 10 hospitalized after a “targeted attack” at a Cedar Rapids nightclub, police say.

Routine deadly gun violence is a uniquely American problem. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deemed gun violence a “serious public health threat” last year. Biden has made modest progress on gun control, but major steps like banning assault weapons or closing background check loopholes would require congressional action.

“None of this absolves Congress … for the responsibility to act,” Biden said.

Gun violence traditionally spikes in the summer months, lending further urgency to Monday’s actions.

The new rule issued by the Justice Department seeks to rein in a type of weapon that has been seen more and more at crime scenes across the country. Ghost gun kits can be purchased online, and a weapon can be self-manufactured in as little as 30 minutes. Because regulators cannot trace them, ghost guns are appealing to criminals and those with criminal histories, according to officials.

The new rules require anyone purchasing a kit to undergo a background check, as is required for other types of firearm purchases. It also requires those selling the kits to mark components with a serial number, so the eventual weapon produced can be traced. And it mandates firearm dealers add a serial number to already built…

Biden announces new gun regulation and names ATF nominee

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