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By Agne Adomauskaite ('22) and Liam McCarthy ('22)
Gun violence has been a long-term issue in the United States. As the controversy grows each decade, guns take more and more innocent lives. In 2020, gun violence was responsible for the death of about 20,000 Americans despite the pandemic raging on. According to The Washington Post, this number is a record higher than the past two decades. Additionally, 24,000 people died from suicide with the use of a gun. Recent tragedies have further brought this critical issue to light. On March 16th, there were eight casualties in the Atlanta spa shootings, with more being seen again on March 22nd in Boulder, Colorado, where a gunman killed 10 people, according to The New York Times. With President Biden in office, the longstanding issue has been officially addressed in the House and Senate.
Gun policy is often polarizing. / Courtesy of Medium.
The House recently approved two bills to expand background checks on firearm sales. Introduced by Democratic Congressman Mike Thompson, the legislation had three Republican cosponsors: Fred Upton of Michigan, Christopher Smith of New Jersey, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. Mike Thompson stated, “The last two years have been a turning point in our longstanding fight to help prevent gun violence and we take another leap forward in helping to save lives. Joined by Democrats and Republicans, we introduce the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 to help keep guns out of the hands of those who may be a danger to themselves or others”.
First, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 was approved with a vote of 227 to 203. According to CBS News, the act would establish background check requirements for gun sales between private parties, therefore prohibiting gun transfers unless a licensed dealer, manufacturer, or importer takes possession of the gun first to run a background check. However, the legislation does not apply to some transfers; for example, a gift exchange between spouses.
Following the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 came the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021. According to Grace Segers, a CBS News reporter, this second piece of legislation will help to prevent what is known as the “Charleston loophole,” sales of firearms conducted without FBI approval stating that the individual was eligible to do so. Essentially, the “Charleston loophole” allows for some gun sales to be finalized without a completed background check. With that being said, this bill increases the overall time in which it would take for firearm sellers to receive a completed background check before giving a gun to an unlicensed buyer from three days to ten days.
In the United States, there is a direct relationship between gun ownership and gun deaths. / Mother Jones.
Though both bills have been passed in the House, in the Senate, most legislation requires 60 votes to advance. Due to Republicans being rather hard to persuade when it comes to gun control laws, the Democrats are having a hard time finalizing the bills. According to CNN Politics, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut stated that the Democrats have had “ongoing conversations” with Republicans about getting them to vote in their favor. Although the bills have Republican cosponsors, there is still plenty of Republican opposition. They argue that the background checks would not stop mass shootings and instead prevent authorized gun owners from purchasing firearms. Furthermore, they stated the bills would breach Second Amendment rights.
With the potential passing of these two bills, greater restrictions on gun laws will be enforced. President Joe Biden has made it clear that gun control is one of his main priorities during his presidency, and he is ensuring to carry out his ambitions. Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, has stated the President is "not afraid of standing up to the NRA — he's done it multiple times and won — on background checks and a range of issues. It is a priority to him on a personal level."
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