Biden is set to announce six executive actions on guns: President will demand background checks for 'ghost gun' buyers, 'red flag' laws for states and will nominate a firearms control advocate to head the ATF
President Joe Biden will unveil a series of executive actions aimed at addressing gun violence on Thursday and is set to announce a gun control advocate as the head of the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Biden is expected to announce tighter regulations requiring buyers of so-called 'ghost guns' to undergo background checks and pistol braces that allow more accurate shooting.
The Department of Justice will also publish model 'red flag' laws for states to ban certain people getting weapons and will 'invest in community-based violence intervention'.
'Ghost guns' are normally assembled from parts and milled with a metal-cutting machine and often lack serial numbers used to trace them.
It's legal to build a gun in a home or a workshop and there is no federal requirement for a background check.
Biden is also planning to name gun control advocate David Chipman as his nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The White House says Chipman, a veteran ATF agent, now advocates for 'commonsense gun safety laws'.
His announcement falls short of the sweeping crackdown on guns he campaigned on while his administration tries to figure out how to pass tougher legislation through Congress with stiff Republican opposition.
President Joe Biden will unveil a series of executive actions aimed at addressing gun violence on Thursday, including background checks for people buying 'ghost guns'. Biden is also planning to name gun control advocate David Chipman (right) as his nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The president's plans were previewed by a person familiar with the expected actions who was not authorized to publicly discuss them.
It's a position that advocates say will be key to implementing the nation's gun laws and addressing gun violence.
The president will be joined by Attorney General Merrick Garland at the event.
The ATF has not had a confirmed permanent director since 2015. It is currently run by Acting Director Regina Lombardo.
Biden has faced increasing pressure to act after a spate of mass shootings across the U.S. in recent weeks - including rampages in massage spas in Atlanta and a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado.
but the White House has repeatedly emphasized the need for legislative action on guns.
While the House passed a background-check bill last month, gun control measures face slim prospects in an evenly-divided Senate, where Republicans remain near-unified against most proposals.
