Biden Uses Executive Powers Against Gun Violence

US President Joe Biden, dissatisfied with Congress's inaction on gun violence, is using his executive powers to enhance school safety and curb the flow of untraceable firearms. He announced this during an emotional ceremony in the East Room of the White House, where he was introduced by Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. Woodfin’s brother was a victim of gun violence, and his city is currently mourning four people killed in a mass shooting. Many activists and survivors of gun violence attended the event. The ceremony marked the first anniversary of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which Biden established after signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act a year ago. This was the first significant gun safety law in almost 30 years. The event also provided an opportunity to pass the mantle to the head of this office, Vice President Kamala Harris, who is incorporating gun violence prevention into her campaign platform. “We know how to stop these tragedies, and it is a false choice to suggest that you are either for the Second Amendment or want to take away all guns,” Harris stated. She mentioned that she herself owns a gun for self-defense and called for the reinstatement of the 1994 ban on certain military-style assault weapons, which expired in 2004. The executive orders signed by Biden do not have the force of law. Should former President Donald Trump return to the White House in November, he could easily rescind them.