Vice President Kamala Harris announced a new gun sale rule in a bid to crack down on the so-called "gun show loophole."
In a press briefing, Harris said the rule stipulates all gun dealers must now conduct background checks on the people who purchase firearms.
The Context
The Biden administration has pushed for universal background checks throughout his time in office.
As it stands, gun stores are required by law to conduct a background check for every gun sale. But dealers who sell weapons elsewhere, like through social media or via gun shows, have been able to sell guns without checking the details of those who purchase them.
The Biden administration has been working on the rule to change that since last spring, and it was issued under a provision of the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
What We Know
Harris said: "I am proud to announce that all gun dealers now must conduct background checks no matter where or how they sell their merchandise."
In remarks leading up to the announcement, she said: "Every person in our nation has a right to live free from the horror of gun violence. I do believe that. And yet, today, one in five Americans has a family member who was killed by gun violence."
She added: "We know how to prevent these tragedies. And it's a false choice to suggest that you're either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone's guns away.
"I'm in favor of the Second Amendment, and I am in favor of reasonable gun safety laws — for example, background checks."
The rule will not apply to all sales, however, including private transfers.
Newsweek reached out to the Biden-Harris campaign and the National Rifle Association via email for comment
Views
"After my sweet little Daniel was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary, I joined together with other surviving families in 2013 to channel my grief into advocating for a background checks bill that ultimately did not pass the Senate," Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund, said in a press statement provided to Newsweek in response to the news.
"We could have given up after that loss. But instead, we committed to work with lawmakers to find common ground on policies that can protect children and communities."
"While today's victory can never take away the pain of having my youngest son taken from our family, it represents the power of our collective voices when we come together to keep kids safe," Barden added. "We are energized to keep up the fight and will work day in and day out to ensure that this isn't the last action we see on expanding background checks."
The Biden administration has long been criticized by gun rights groups for its stance on gun control.
Larry Keane, a senior vice president at the NSSF, a firearm industry trade association, wrote in a December blog post after the proposed rule was announced: "ATF has no authority to 'improve' on what Congress enacted or to create new crimes not enacted by Congress. An agency may not re-write statutory terms or fill in what the agency considers to be 'gaps' or 'loopholes' in the statute."
Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 election, told the National Rifle Association in February that he would roll back Biden-Harris-era gun restrictions if reelected.
"Every single Biden attack on gun owners and manufacturers will be terminated on my very first week back in office, perhaps my first day," Trump said at the NRA's Presidential Forum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, adding that "no one will lay a finger on your firearms."
What's Next
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is expected to submit the final rule to the Federal Register on Thursday. It is expected to come into force in 30 days.
A spokesperson for Senator John Cornyn told Newsweek that he and Senator Thom Tillis planned to introduce a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to overturn the rule, which they called "unconstitutional."
Update 4/11/24, 8:25 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 4/11/24, 9:46 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 4/11/24, 9:49 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and ... Read more
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