(UnitedVoice.com) – In May 2022, a man gunned down 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. After the shooting, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which included expanded background checks. The administration has now announced the so-called gun show loophole is closed.
On April 11, the Department of Justice submitted the final rule to expand background checks. The rule was first proposed in August 2023 as one of the regulations expanded in the 2022 gun control bill. It changes the definition of firearm sellers.
Anyone “engaged in business” has to acquire a federal firearms license. That means individuals who sell online, at gun shows, flea markets, and elsewhere would be required to run background checks on potential buyers. The final rule will take effect in 30 days.
Attorney General Merrick Garland reiterated that gun sellers need a license. He told reporters the new “regulation is a historic step in the […] fight against gun violence” and claimed it’ll “save lives.”
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to reporters who were previewing the DOJ rule. She said that one in five Americans have lost a family member to gun violence. The VP stressed that it doesn’t have to continue and said that American officials “know how to prevent [the] tragedies.” According to Harris, Republicans have given people a “false choice” by telling them that either they support the Second Amendment or they want to ban all firearms.
Harris also pointed out that April 20 is the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting and the perpetrators of that massacre carried it out with weapons bought through the gun-show loophole.
Republicans are already gearing up for a fight over the new rule. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) intend to introduce a joint resolution to overturn the new rule, according to a spokesperson for the Texas lawmaker. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) will introduce a companion resolution in the House.
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