共和国总统乔·拜登宣布有限的步骤在三起大规模枪击事件三周后的周四，他运用自己的行政权力解决了枪支暴力问题迫于压力采取行动。
拜登宣布了六项行动，包括要求司法部在30天内发布一项拟议的规则，以规范所谓的“幽灵枪”的销售。这些枪支是由网上购买的零件组装而成的，没有序列号，因此很难跟踪。
“枪支暴力在这个国家是一种流行病，”拜登在白宫玫瑰园向枪支管制倡导者和民主党议员发表讲话时说，他们在国会山推动枪支管制立法。“这是一个国际尴尬，”他说。
共和国总统拜登在签署枪支改革行政命令之前说:“枪支暴力在这个国家是一种流行病，也是一种国际尴尬。”pic.twitter.com/WNw6FQ5VuU
——美国广播公司新闻政治(@美国广播公司政治)2021年4月8日
但即使在吹捧他周四采取的行动时，拜登也承认，没有国会议员的合作，他只能做这么多。
拜登说:“我要求司法部长和他的团队为我确定我现在可以立即采取的具体行动，而不必经过国会。”
他后来承认，取消枪支制造商的豁免权，这需要立法，是一个主要的优先事项，也是他希望他现在能做的事情。拜登在竞选活动中承诺，在他执政的第一天就向国会提交这样一项法案，但尚未这样做。
拜登说:“如果我的单子上有一样东西，上帝会下来说，乔，你拿一个，把那个给我。”。“因为我告诉你，会有一个主降临的时刻，这些人会很快。”
在场的著名枪支管制倡导者包括在佛罗里达州帕克兰高中枪击案中丧生的学生的父母，以及前亚利桑那州众议员Gabby Giffords，她在2011年与所在地区的选民会面时头部中弹。这番话结束后，拜登慢跑到吉福德，给了她一个肘击。
“对不起，我不应该这么做，”拜登在即席问候后说，暗示他忍不住承认他们的长期关系。这两人在枪支控制方面已经合作了十年，吉福兹在2020年的民主党全国代表大会上发表了支持拜登的激动人心的演讲。
周四宣布的措施包括一项拟议的规则，该规则规定，一种标记为稳定支架的装置，能够将手枪变成短管步枪，必须根据《国家火器法》进行登记。
司法部长梅里克·加兰也加入了总统的行列，他还宣布提名大卫·奇普曼领导酒精、烟草、火器和爆炸物局。奇普曼是前ATF特工，最近在以吉福兹命名的枪支控制倡导组织中担任高调的枪支控制倡导者。
拜登还呼吁对基于证据的社区暴力干预进行投资，要求DOJ在60天内公布各州的“红旗”立法范本，并发布了一份关于枪支贩运的新年度报告，这是自2000年以来从未做过的。
这些行动与突击步枪无关，拜登也不会提出立法建议，尽管政府高级官员强调，这些只是初步行动，为今后的行动留下了更多空间。
总统的举措是有限的，目前还不清楚它们的效果如何，或者它们是否会面临任何法律挑战。
这些都是在他发誓要采取的行动之后人们高度期待的行动枪支管制改革作为一名候选人，在他总统任期的早期。在竞选过程中，拜登表示，他将禁止网上销售枪支，关闭所谓的查尔斯顿漏洞并承诺采取措施，让枪支远离那些可能伤害自己或他人的人。
但是总统没有兑现他关于枪支改革的承诺，这也不是本届政府的优先事项。他一开始专注于新冠肺炎救援，现在专注于他的基础设施提案。
当拜登在3月份举行他的第一次也是唯一一次新闻发布会时，他解释了为什么他认为现在不是在枪支改革上花费政治资本的时候，他说“这一切都是为了时机”。
不管怎样，他的声明受到了枪支暴力和最近大规模枪击事件的支持者和受害者的欢迎，尽管它是作为国会仍处于瘫痪状态在这个问题上。尽管民主党控制了国会，但他们仍然需要参议院10名共和党人的支持来推进任何枪支管制立法。
众议院已经通过了一些零碎的改革法案，这些法案基本上是按照党派路线通过的，但是参议院还没有采纳。这一现实导致枪支改革团体在最近几周支持取消参议院60票门槛的进步呼吁。
Biden announces limited gun control actions, saying gun violence epidemic 'has to stop'
PresidentJoe Bidenannounced limited steps, using his executive power, to address gun violence Thursday -- three weeks after three mass shootings andunder pressure to act.
Biden announced six actions, including asking the Department of Justice to issue a proposed rule to regulate the sale of so-called "ghost guns" within 30 days. Those firearms are assembled from kits of parts purchased online and don't have serial numbers, making them difficult to track.
"Gun violence in this country is an epidemic," Biden said in remarks delivered in the White House Rose Garden before an audience of gun control advocates and Democratic lawmakers who have pushed for gun control legislation on Capitol Hill. "It’s an international embarrassment," he said.
Pres. Biden speaks before signing executive orders on gun reform: "Gun violence in this country is an epidemic and it's an international embarrassment."pic.twitter.com/WNw6FQ5VuU
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics)April 8, 2021
But even while touting the actions he took Thursday, Biden acknowledged he can only do so much without cooperation from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
"I asked the attorney general and his team to identify for me immediate concrete actions I could take now without having to go through the Congress," Biden said.
He later conceded that repealing immunity for gun manufacturers, which would require legislation, is a main priority, and something he wished he could do now. Biden promised on the campaign trail to send such a bill to Congress on the first day of his administration, but has yet to do so.
"If I get one thing on my list, the Lord came down and said, Joe, you get one of these, give me that one," Biden said. "Because I tell you what, there would be a come to the Lord moment these folks would have real quickly."
Among the prominent gun control advocates present were parents of students slain in the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting, and former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D.-Ariz., who was shot in the head in 2011 while meeting with constituents in her district. Biden jogged over to Giffords after the remarks ended to offer her an elbow bump.
"Sorry, I wasn't supposed to do that," Biden said after the impromptu greeting, suggesting he couldn't help himself but acknowledge their long relationship. The pair have worked together for a decade on gun control and Giffords gave an emotional speech in support of Biden at the Democratic National Convention in 2020.
Among the steps announced Thursday are a proposed rule stating that a device marked as a stabilizing brace, capable of turning a pistol into a short-barreled rifle, be subject registration under the National Firearms Act.
The president, who was joined by Attorney General Merrick Garland, also announced his nomination of David Chipman to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Chipman, a former ATF agent, has most recently served as a high-profile gun control advocate with the gun control advocacy group named after Giffords.
Biden also called for investments in evidence-based community violence intervention, asked the DOJ to publish model "red flag" legislation for states within 60 days and issued a new annual report on firearms trafficking, which hasn't been done since 2000.
There is nothing related to assault rifles in these actions and there will be no legislative proposal from Biden, though senior administration officials stress that these are only initial actions, leaving room for more to come down the road.
The president's moves are limited and it remains unclear how effective they will be or if they will face any legal challenges.
These are highly anticipated actions follow his pledge to pursuegun control reformsas a candidate and early in his presidency. On the campaign trail, Biden said he would ban online sales of firearms, close theso-called Charleston loopholeand promised to pursue measures that would keep guns away from those who could hurt themselves or others.
But the president has fallen short in his promise on gun reform and it hasn't been a priority for this administration. He focused on COVID-19 relief right out of the gate and is now focusing on his infrastructure proposal.
When he held his first and only news conference in March, Biden said "it's all about timing" when he explained why he didn't think now was the time to spend political capital on gun reform.
Regardless, his announcement was welcomed by advocates and victims of gun violence and recent mass shootings, even though it comes asCongress remains paralyzedon the issue. Despite Democrats' control of Congress, they still need the support of 10 Republicans in the Senate to advance any gun control legislation.
The House has passed piecemeal reform bills largely along party lines, but they have not been taken up in the Senate. That reality has led gun-reform groups in recent weeks to endorse progressive calls to eliminate the Senate's 60-vote threshold.
