Brady Applauds President Biden’s Reported Inclusion of Gun Violence in Address to Congress

Washington, D.C., April 28, 2021 - Following reporting that President Biden will prominently feature the urgent need to act to prevent gun violence in his address to a joint session of Congress, Brady applauds the President for once again demonstrating his commitment to this issue.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“President Biden is the strongest gun violence prevention champion ever to occupy the Oval Office. No President since President Clinton in 1993 has highlighted the need to prevent gun violence in their first address to Congress. In doing so, President Biden has shown, once again, that his commitment to protecting our nation is not only long standing, but runs deep. President Biden has chosen the brightest spotlight in the world, his first address to a joint session of Congress, to highlight the urgent need to stop the epidemic that kills over 100 people everyday. President Biden’s actions on gun violence have demonstrated the need for a comprehensive public health approach. While mass casualty shootings are a uniquely American and preventable problem that often capture national attention, it is the everyday gun violence - such as firearm suicide and homicide and injury disproportionately impacting communities of color - that traumatize communities and claim lives daily. President Biden has chosen to use his voice and his position to call on Congress to join him in action and to pass common-sense and comprehensive legislation that will save lives. This is a historic moment.”

About President Biden’s Executive Actions:

This month, President Biden outlined six initial actions to address gun violence:

1. The White House has nominated David Chipman for Director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

2. The Justice Department, within 30 days, will issue a proposed rule to help stop the proliferation of ghost guns.

3. The Justice Department, within 60 days, will publish model extreme risk order legislation for states.

4. The Justice Department will issue a new, comprehensive report on firearms trafficking and annual updates necessary to give policymakers the information they need to help address firearms trafficking today.

5. The Administration is investing in substantive evidence-based community violence interventions, directing five federal agencies to modify 26 programs that will route vital support to community violence intervention programs as quickly as possible. This also adds to the proposed $5 billion investment in the American Jobs Plan that will support community violence intervention programs.

6. The Justice Department, within 60 days, will issue a proposed rule to make clear when a device marketed as a stabilizing brace effectively turns a pistol into a short-barreled rifle subject to the requirements of the National Firearms Act.

About the President’s On-Going Call for Comprehensive Reform:

In his speech in the Rose Garden, President Biden also called for continued action to prevent this “on-going crisis,” particularly legislative actions. In his remarks, President Biden called for:

1. The repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA)

2. For a legislative fix to the Charleston Loophole, such as the policies included in H.R. 1446 which a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives passed in March 2021

3. For the U.S. Senate to pass H.R. 8 to expand and strengthen the Brady Background Check system, which a bipartisan majority of the U.S House of Representatives pass in March 2021

4. For the U.S. Senate to pass the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives passed in March 2021