An Executive Order aimed at reducing gun violence by increasing the number of background checks necessary to buy firearms was signed by President Joe Biden on Tuesday. According to the White House, recent polling shows a large majority of Americans support universal background checks, and senior administration officials say the new directive is aimed at bringing gun sellers who are willfully selling guns without background checks into compliance.
“Our nation is in the midst of a gun violence epidemic, and President Biden’s executive order will help keep these weapons out of dangerous hands and speed up implementation of the historic bipartisan gun safety law Congress passed last year, including the measures I helped pass to criminalize gun trafficking,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “I have worked hard alongside my colleagues to protect our communities from gun violence, having pushed for expanded background checks, legislation to classify gun trafficking as a federal offense, and greater access to records of gun purchases. I want to thank President Biden for taking these steps that will not only help local authorities keep deadly weapons away from those who should not have them, but will also potentially help prevent mass shootings.”
Governor Kathy Hochul applauded the President’s Executive Order saying too many families in this country have experienced loss due to gun violence.
“Too many communities, including my hometown of Buffalo, have been devastated by weapons of war,” said Hochul. “We have a moral obligation to act — and that’s why New York strengthened our nation-leading gun safety laws, expanding the use of red flag laws to prevent domestic abusers and other dangerous individuals from causing harm to themselves or others.
“President Biden’s new Executive Order brings New York’s approach to a national scale. The Executive Order strengthens rules around individuals with a “red flag” by requiring federally licensed gun dealers to check if an individual is a domestic abuser or convicted felon. It increases federal resources for proven crime-fighting tools, like the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network we are utilizing in Crime Analysis Centers across New York. This EO builds on the major success last year when President Biden worked closely with Leader Schumer and bipartisan members of Congress to pass the first new gun safety legislation in a generation. This Executive Order is the significant next step our country needs.
“Public safety is my top priority, and we won’t stop working to keep New Yorkers safe from gun violence.”
