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President Joe Biden will take executive action Tuesday that seeks to increase the number of background checks conducted during gun sales as the White House reverts to unilateral ways to tackle gun control amid bleak prospects in Congress.
The order stops short of requiring universal background checks, which the president has asked Congress to pass through legislation. His action instead directs Attorney General Merrick Garland to “clarify” the statutory definition of firearms dealing, according to senior Biden administration officials familiar with the order.
Federal law requires individuals engaged in the business of dealing firearms be federally licensed and therefore check the backgrounds of buyers. Under the order, Garland will use his discretion to ensure gun sellers “willfully violating the law” and those unaware of background requirements become compliant.
More:Biden looks to stem ‘ghost guns,’ unveils other steps to curb gun violence ‘epidemic’
Biden, who faces pressure to address gun violence following a series of mass shootings this year, is set to sign the order while visiting Monterey Park California, where 11 people were killed during a mass shooting in January.What else does Biden’s order do on gun safety?
“As close… as possible”: Biden’s gun order moves the United States “as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation,” the White House said.
