President Joe Biden announced his plan to sign a half dozen executive orders on Thursday (April 8) to implement some form of gun control legislation in response to a string of mass shootings across the nation. A deadly shooting in South Carolina took place the morning of Biden’s announcement.
"Gun violence is an epidemic in this country," Biden said during a press conference at the White House, announcing the executive action. He also called gun violence a "blemish on the nation."
The orders will limit the sale of “ghost guns” which come in kits and are assembled in a person’s home. Those guns, according to multiple reports, don’t have serial numbers and fall out of the range of federal regulations. CNN reported that some of the orders Biden plans to sign will also invest in community violence intervention programs and appoint a permanent director of the agency that oversees illegal gun sales.
The recent surge in mass shootings has pressured the Biden administration to take action while Congress remains in gridlock on the issue.
“The president will not wait for Congress to act before the administration takes our own steps, fully within the administration’s authority and the Second Amendment, to save lives,” a White House official said during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday (April 7), per a report by The Huffington Post.
"They've offered plenty of thoughts and prayers, members of Congress, but they have passed not a single new federal law to reduce gun violence," Biden said at a press conference announcing the action. "Enough prayers, time for some action."
Last month the House passed a bill expanding universal background checks, but additional measures remain at a standstill between the chambers.
In his announcement, Biden revealed his nomination of David Chipman as the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The agency has had a permanent director since 2015.
“One of the president’s priorities is making sure the ATF has the leadership and resources to complete its mission,” a senior official of the Biden administration reportedly said.
Last month, the country saw two mass shootings that left 18 people dead, raising calls to close legal loopholes for obtaining assault-style weapons and imposing measures to make the nation safer.
Photo Credit: Getty Images