Giffords Announces Detailed Plan for Congress, Biden Administration to Address Gun Violence
Washington DC — Today, Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, called on Congress and the Biden administration to address gun violence. Giffords released two memos highlighting actions Congress and the Biden administration can take to save lives.
Giffords’ priorities for Congress can be found HERE. Giffords’ priorities for the Biden Administration can be found HERE.
Adzi Vokhiwa, Giffords Federal Affairs Director:
“Our nation is reeling in the aftermath of dozens of mass shootings already this year, not to mention the hundreds of people who were shot or killed in incidents that never made the news. There have now been more mass shootings than days in the year. In 2021, nearly 49,000 Americans lost their lives to firearms. This is an epidemic that our entire federal government needs to address head first and at all levels. We look forward to working with Congress and the Biden administration to take action and enact policy to save lives.”
Following the tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde, Congress took a monumental step forward in addressing the gun violence crisis by enacting the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the first major piece of federal gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years. The historic legislation created a federal firearms trafficking statute, required enhanced background checks for firearms purchasers under the age of 21, and addressed the loophole in the law that allows abusive dating partners to access guns. However, more action is needed to abate the gun violence crisis, which surged to record high levels in recent years.
While Congress is currently divided, there are opportunities for bipartisan progress:
- Further fund community violence intervention programs, which are vital to addressing gun violence in our communities
- Continue to invest in gun violence research
- Take action to disarm domestic abusers
- Ban bump stocks
Opportunities for Executive Action:
- When implementing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the Biden administration has the opportunity to define what it means to be “engaged in the business” of selling firearms, invest in critical community violence intervention programs, and more.
- ATF should conduct an updated examination of the sporting purposes test and issue new criteria to enforce the sporting purposes requirement.
- ATF should issue another open letter addressing enforcement of the ghost gun rule with respect to hammer-fired pistols and AR-type receivers and rescind its previously-issued open letter from September 27, 2022.
- ATF should continue releasing regular reports about firearms trafficking.
- ATF should take action to address auto sears and other conversion devices.
- The Surgeon General should issue a report on gun violence.
- The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 required the US attorney general to appoint special assistant United States attorneys, deputize law enforcement officers, and establish points-of-contact within ATF to help enforce these prohibitions. DOJ, especially ATF, should publicly and proactively highlight the existence of these new officials so that the relevant governmental and private stakeholders can take advantage of their services.
RESOURCES