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Biden Takes Small but Meaningful Steps on Gun Control, Urges Congress to Do Better

President Biden announced several new initiatives on Thursday designed to curb gun violence (watch above).

“Enough prayers, time for some action,” Biden said at a speech in the Rose Garden. “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic and it is an international embarrassment.”

Biden said his Department of Justice would propose a rule that would restrict so-called “ghost guns,” – that is, guns that can be assembled from parts purchased online. Ghost guns are particularly appealing to criminal organizations that want to avoid a paper trail. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimated 10,000 ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement in 2019.

In addition, Biden said the government would create new regulations targeting arm braces used to make pistols more accurate. An arm brace was used in the March massacre in Boulder, Colorado that left ten dead. Such gun modifications have long been a target of gun control advocates.

Biden also pushed for the adoption of “red flag” laws. He said the DOJ would create a model red flag law for states to consider. “These laws allow police or a family member to petition a court, in their jurisdiction, and say ‘I want you to temporarily remove, from the following people, any firearm they may possess because they’re danger in a crisis. They’re presenting a danger to themselves and to others.’ And the court makes a ruling,” Biden said.

The president also formally nominated David Chipman to serve as head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Chipman is a 25 year veteran of the ATF and has spent the last decade pushing for gun reform. The bureau has not had a permanent director since 2015.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Attorney General Merrick Garland also spoke at the event. Garland emphasized the role of good data collection when it comes to curbing gun trafficking. He said he wants to empower communities to combat and prevent gun violence. The DOJ will distribute over a billion dollars in grant money to that end.

Biden acknowledged that the new measures were not comprehensive, saying “we’ve got a long way to go.” He pushed Congress to advance gun control legislation. “They have offered plenty of thoughts and prayers, members of Congress, but they have passed not a single federal law to reduce gun violence,” Biden said.

Biden, anticipating GOP opposition, repeatedly emphasized that he was not trying to eliminate second amendment gun ownership rights.

Greg Abbott, Texas’ GOP governor, tweeted that Biden’s announcement was “a new liberal power grab to take away our guns.”