Newsbreak: President Biden Urges Congress to Reinstate Assault Weapons Ban and Tighten Gun Background Checks

President Joe Biden has called on Congress to take action on gun control following a recent school shooting in Nashville, stating that he has exhausted his executive authority on the matter, according to a report by Fox News on March 28, 2023. He is urging Congress to reinstate the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, which expired in 2004, and to close loopholes for gun background checks. Biden believes that the majority of Americans agree with him that having assault weapons is a crazy idea. However, a ban on assault weapons is unlikely to gain momentum in the Republican-led House and faces an uphill battle in the Democratic-led Senate, as reported by MSN on March 28, 2023.

Last year, Congress passed legislation providing incentives for states to adopt red-flag gun laws and enhance background checks on young buyers, but this falls short of the sweeping gun control legislation that Biden and gun control advocates are pushing for. Biden has spoken with Nashville’s leaders but has not confirmed whether he plans to visit the city.

Biden’s executive orders in 2021 tightened restrictions on so-called “ghost guns,” or untraceable weapons, and directed Attorney General Merrick Garland to ensure that federally licensed firearms sellers are carrying out required background checks, according to a report by USA Today on March 28, 2023. Biden’s order also directed Garland to publicly release, to the fullest extent possible, ATF records detailing violations from the inspection of firearms dealers, as explained by Vox on April 8, 2021. The White House press secretary is urging Republicans in Congress to take action on gun control and show courage to prevent further tragedies.