The Biden admin is expanding background checks on gun sales
Image: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Yesterday, the Biden administration announced a new regulation aimed at preventing unlicensed dealers from selling firearms. This represents the largest expansion of background checks for gun purchases in over three decades.
Under current rules, licensed firearm dealers must perform background checks and refuse to sell to people who fall under certain criteria, including convicted felons and those with serious mental health issues. But these rules don’t apply to hobbyists and infrequent traders, who typically sell firearms online, at gun shows, or out of their houses.
The Justice Department’s new regulation aims to close that loophole. The law requires all individuals who repeatedly sell weapons to earn a profit to obtain a federal license and run background checks on their buyers.
- It also makes clear there are instances when a federal license to sell firearms is not needed, such as private transfers among family members and the liquidation of a personal gun collection.
- Federal officials believe the rule will impact 20,000+ unlicensed dealers who’ve been selling firearms without performing background checks.
But not everyone agrees with the move. Major gun rights activist groups have framed the Biden admin’s new policy as unconstitutional, and pledged to launch legal challenges to stop the law from taking effect in 30 days. Additionally, Republican lawmakers are pushing back against the Biden admin’s claim that it’s authorized to expand firearm background checks under a 2022 bipartisan congressional law.
📸 Big picture: Between 2017 and 2021, more than 68,000 illegally trafficked firearms in the US came through unlicensed dealers who aren’t required to perform background checks, per an ATF report published last week. The agency also found that guns trafficked through unlicensed dealers were used in ~370 shootings over the same time period.
📊 Flash poll: Do you agree with the Biden admin’s move to expand background checks for gun purchases?
See a 360° view of what media pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that the Biden admin’s new gun regulation is supported by a large majority of Americans, and represents an obvious fix to a glaring loophole that has resulted in many deadly shootings.
- Others contend that in order to change the problem of gun violence in the US, Americans need to drop their attitude of defeatism and despair and start working towards enacting real change in their communities and on a national level.
- “Biden Is Closing a Sacred Portal Into American Gun Culture” –Francis Wilkinson, Bloomberg
- “To Act on Gun Violence, We Have To Drop Defeatism and Despair” –Rep. Shontel M. Brown (D-OH)
- “We Can’t Just Shoot Our Way Out of This” –Gail Collins, NY Times
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that Americans should be wary of letting politicians strip away their constitutional right to own firearms using the excuse of “public health,” and let their lawmakers know such actions are unacceptable.
- Others contend that contrary to arguments from the left, data from countries like Canada shows that increased gun control results in a spike in violent crime, since criminals are emboldened by an unarmed general population.
- “Don’t let politicians use ‘public health’ to justify more gun control” –Katie Pointer Baney
- “Gun control fuels crime: Just ask Canada” –Erich Pratt, Washington Times
- “Second Amendment Advocates Do Not ‘Value Guns More Than Life’” –Charles C.W. Cooke, National Review
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