President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order aimed to increase the number of background checks conducted before a firearm is sold.
Background checks are already necessary in almost every major state legally able to sell firearms, but that’s another story.
The president will speak in Monterey Park, Ca. and meet with family and community members affected by a mass shooting that left 11 dead and nine injured back in January.
Biden will work with Attorney General Merrick Garland to clarify the statutory definition of who is “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms, officials said.
“Number one, to make it clear that those who are willfully violating the law need to come into compliance with the law and, number two, to make it clear to people who may not realize that, under that statutory definition they are indeed in the business of selling firearms, they must become federally licensed firearm dealers and they must run background checks before gun sales.”
The Biden administration hopes that this executive order will mean fewer guns sold without proper background checks – this comes with hopes of fewer guns being in the hands of criminals and domestic abusers.
The order will also aim to improve public awareness and increase the use of extreme protection, like “red flag” laws and safe storage of firearms.
Back at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference on March 1, Biden declared that he would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, “come hell or high water.”
“I know it may make some of you uncomfortable, but that little state above me, Delaware is one of them, has the highest rate, one of the highest rates of gun ownership. But guess what? We’re going to ban assault weapons again come hell or high water and high-capacity magazines,” Biden said.
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