Biden Orders Gun Control Actions, But They Show His Limits
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is ordering a half-dozen executive actions aimed at addressing what he calls an “epidemic and an international embarrassment” of gun violence in America.
But for Biden, who proposed the most ambitious gun-control agenda of any modern presidential candidate, Thursday's modest moves underscore the limitations of his power to act alone.
He faces difficult politics in getting significant firearms legislation passed in Congress. Biden's action announced Thursday includes a move to crack down on “ghost guns,” homemade firearms that lack serial numbers used to trace them and are often purchased without a background check.
He also announced tighter regulations on pistol-stabilizing braces like the one used in Boulder, Colorado, in a shooting last month that left 10 dead.