Luis Ernesto Quintana Barney
(CNN) President Joe Biden is expected to announce new gun regulations Monday to curb the use of homemade weapons as he comes under pressure to take more action to tackle gun violence, people familiar with the matter said. .
Regulation on so-called “ghost guns” (unregulated, kit-made, untraceable weapons) would classify the components used to assemble them as “firearms,” addressing a critical gap in the government’s ability to trace them. .
Biden is also expected to name Steve Dettelbach, a former Ohio federal prosecutor, on Monday as his candidate to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), according to a US official. Biden’s previous candidate was forced to withdraw by opposition in the Senate.
The moves come as gun violence and crime have increased in the United States, putting pressure on the White House for further action. Biden is expected to announce the gun news at a public event Monday followingnoon, according to people who were invited.
The White House declined to comment on the new steps, which were described by three people familiar with the matter and not authorized to speak publicly. Dettelbach did not respond to a request for comment.
Following a 2021 directive from the Joe Biden administration, the ATF proposed a rule in May of last year to allow the office to classify the basic components that often make up phantom weapons as firearms. The rule has been making its way through the federal regulatory process ever since.
The ATF rule addresses a key issue in tracking and regulating ghost guns, because certain parts used to assemble the guns are often purchased online and the bureau does not classify them as firearms.
The measure would also require manufacturers selling parts to assemble ghost guns to obtain a license and conduct background checks on potential buyers of the kits used to assemble the products.
The Justice Department also launched a national ghost gun control initiative, through which it will “train a national cadre of prosecutors and disseminate investigative and prosecution tools to help bring cases once morest those who use ghost weapons to commit crimes,” he said. the White House.
Ghost guns have been used in several recent shootings, including at a Maryland high school in January. Their exact number is unknown, given the inability of regulators to track them.
Numerous states have moved to restrict their sale as ghost guns become more common at crime scenes.
Last week, Maryland joined Washington and 10 other states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington) in banning or restricting the purchase or use of bogus weapons, which are commonly purchased online and assembled at home.
US records more than 109 mass shootings so far in 2022, nine recorded on a weekend
In September, Biden withdrew his nomination of David Chipman to lead the ATF, following opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats.
Chipman, a former career ATF official, came under scrutiny from gun rights supporters and the National Rifle Association for his work as a senior adviser to Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords, the organization started by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in his Arizona district in 2011.
Dettelbach ran unsuccessfully for Ohio’s attorney general in 2018 following serving as a federal prosecutor in the state.
CNN’s Evan Perez contributed to this report.
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