President Biden:
“More Has To Be Done.”

Last week, President Biden held an event on the South Lawn at the White House to commemorate the recent passage of the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.” During his remarks to attendees, the president reiterated his position additional restrictions on lawful firearms ownership: he’s not done yet.

“Make no mistake about it: This legislation is real progress, but more has to be done,” he said.

Following a pattern that has resurfaced throughout his presidency, Biden blamed the industry — calling out firearms manufacturers specifically — for gun violence.

“We’re living in a country awash in weapons of war — weapons that weren’t designed to hunt are not being used — the weapons designed that they’re purchasing are designed as weapons of war to take out an enemy,” he said.

On His Agenda

During his remarks, President Biden outlined his agenda on further laws restricting gun rights:

• Banning ARs/MSRs, 30-round magazines.

What the president said: “Assault weapons need to be banned. They were banned. I led the fight in 1994. And then, under pressure from the NRA and the gun manufacturers and others, that ban was lifted in 2004.

“I’m determined to ban these weapons again and high-capacity magazines — that hold 30 rounds … I’m not going to stop until we do it.”

• Enacting safe storage laws.

What the president said: “We should have safe storage laws, requiring personal liability for not locking up your gun. If you own a weapon, you have a responsibility to secure it and keep it under lock and key. And if you don’t and something bad happens, you should be held responsible.”

• Expanded background checks.

What the president said: “We should expand background checks to better keep guns out of the hands of felons, fugitives, and those under domestic violence restraining orders.”

ATF Director Confirmed

Also last week, the Senate confirmed President Biden’s second pick to lead the ATF — Steven Dettelbach. Only the second Senate-confirmed ATF director, and first in seven years, Dettelbach is a former U.S. attorney who was previously endorsed by gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety.

During his nomination hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee in late May, Dettelbach could not define what an “assault weapon” was — stating “that would be for the Congress if it chose to take that up to do.”

Now with a Senate-confirmed director in place, SI will be tracking how Dettelbach interacts with dealers and the industry.

Dealers, how do you see Dettelbach’s confirmation impacting your business? We want to hear from you: editor@shootingindustry.com.