Staff Reports
The White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, proudly spoke about the efforts of President Biden’s administration in addressing gun violence in the United States during Thursday’s briefing. She highlighted a new rule aimed at requiring background checks for all gun dealers who are engaged in the business of selling firearms. Democrats and the mainstream media have portrayed the rule as an initiative to close the “gun show loophole,” but that loophole doesn’t actually exist. The real essence of the rule, as explained by Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms, is to expand the government’s authority and increase the burden on law-abiding gun owners.
Biden's New ATF Rule Could Open Millions of Lawful Gun Owners to Criminal Prosecution https://t.co/vT4oyEo4Sv
— Joyce Taylor (@JTaylorForMAGA) April 11, 2024
Edwards pointed out that the new rule could potentially subject millions of gun owners to criminal prosecution and divert the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from focusing on real gun traffickers. He emphasized that there are already existing regulations for commercial firearm sales, regardless of whether the purchase takes place at a gun show, online, or in a physical store. Private sales, on the other hand, are not subject to background checks, while commercial sales are required to undergo the process, no matter the location.
The ATF’s rule, rather than providing clarity on who is considered “engaged in the business” of selling firearms, is criticized for its vagueness. Its real purpose, according to Bearing Arms, is to push private sales to go through background checks. This could potentially lead to gun owners facing federal felonies for offering a single gun for sale. The Biden administration appears to be content with this outcome. Additionally, if more gun owners decide to obtain a federal firearms license (FFL) in response to the rule, it might lead to the gun control lobby advocating for increased agency funding and stricter eligibility requirements for obtaining an FFL.
