Matteson, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02), Vice-Chair of the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce, applauded President Joe Biden’s announcement of his initial actions to reduce gun violence.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s actions to prevent gun violence are urgently needed as my district in Illinois struggles with near-daily shootings, and as communities across our country grapple with recent mass shootings and other frequent instances of gun violence,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “I am especially relieved to see that the Justice Department will issue an annual report on firearms trafficking. We know that in Chicago, more than half the guns used in the commission of crimes are trafficked in from other areas.
“I have been working to address gun trafficking in my district and across the country. Last week I introduced H.R. 2280, the Prevent Gun Trafficking Act, to combat trafficking by making straw purchasing a federal crime. The information that will now be collected by the Justice Department will be helpful in creating additional policies to protect our communities from gun violence.”
The Biden Administration announced the following initial actions to curb gun violence:
- The Justice Department, within 30 days, will issue a proposed rule to stop the proliferation of “ghost guns.” As more criminals buy kits to assemble firearms in as little as 30 minutes to commit crimes that cannot be traced to the weapon, this proposed rule will help stop the proliferation of firearms.
- The Justice Department, within 60 days, will issue a proposed rule to clear that devices marketed as a stabilizing brace are subject to the National Firearms Act. The proposed rule will make clear that devices marketed as a stabilizing brace effectively turns a pistol into a short-barreled shotgun or rifle – making them subject to the requirements of the National Firearms Act.
- The Justice Department, within 60 days, will publish model “red flag” legislation for states. This will make it easier for states to adopt red flag laws, which let family members or law enforcement to petition for a court order temporarily barring people in crisis from accessing firearms if they present a danger to themselves or others.
- The Justice Department will issue an annual report on firearms trafficking. The Justice Department will issue a new, comprehensive report on firearms trafficking – which hasn’t been done since 2000 – and annual updates necessary to give policymakers the information they need to help address firearms trafficking today
- The Administration is investing in substantive evidence-based community violence interventions – proven strategies for reducing gun violence in urban communities. Because cities across the country are experiencing a historic spike in homicides, the Biden-Harris Administration is directing five federal agencies to modify 26 programs that will route vital support to community violence intervention programs as quickly as possible. This also adds to the proposed $5 billion investment in the American Jobs Plan that will support community violence intervention programs.
- President Biden will nominate David Chipman to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). ATF is the key agency enforcing our gun laws, and it needs a permanent director in order to do the job to the best of its ability – but it has not had a confirmed director since 2015. Chipman served at ATF for 25 years, has helped investigate high-profile bombings, has worked to advance commonsense gun safety laws, and is a gun owner himself.
This is news from Congresswoman Robin Kelly.