Biden Signs Executive Order Increasing Background Checks on Gun Sales

President Biden issued an executive order on Tuesday to strengthen gun control measures and encourage safe storage of guns.

Key Quotes: In the executive order, Biden stated, “it is the policy of my Administration that executive departments and agencies (agencies) will pursue every legally available and appropriate action to reduce gun violence.  Through this whole-of-government approach, my Administration has made historic progress to save lives.” Biden called on Congress to pass more gun control legislation, stating that “in the meantime, my Administration will continue to do all that we can, within existing authority, to make our communities safer.” Biden also encouraged the FTC to “issue a public report analyzing how gun manufacturers market firearms to minors.”

Details: The executive order mainly consists of instructions to increase federal and state coordination in enforcing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun control legislation in decades, which Biden signed in June. In this executive order, Biden calls on The Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report on their efforts to implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act within 60 days. Biden has repeatedly called for congress to reinstate a federal ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004.

How The Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered the executive order, often highlighting recent mass shootings, such as the shooting in Monterey, CA in January that left eleven people dead.