Staff Reports
President Joe Biden's announcement on Tuesday to expand current background checks has faced criticism from conservatives. This move has been made possible by the Republican language added to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) in 2022, which allows Biden to take the action as close to "universal background checks" as possible. Second Amendment advocates are outraged by this development and argue that Republican Senators Cornyn and McConnell made a significant mistake with the BSCA, as it gave Biden the chance to redefine a gun store.
Ohhh you really got @LaurenBoebert. The Founding Fathers used to run @FBI background checks on private gun sales all the time. UBCs totally pass the Supreme Court’s “text, history, & tradition” test.—OH WAIT 🤡 @RepBoebert is 100% correct, background checks are an INFRINGEMENT https://t.co/iKLCxmnM8o
— Aidan Johnston (@RealGunLobbyist) March 15, 2023
Fifteen Republicans voted in favor of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which mirrored the Obama administration's language to limit gun show and online firearm sales. It also mandated federal firearm licenses (FFL) for all gun sales to assist the administration in monitoring the movement of firearms. The additional language inserted by Cornyn and McConnell altered the definition of those "engaged in the business" of selling firearms, making it inclusive of anyone who made a profit from the sale of a firearm. This enabled the Biden administration to effortlessly expand federal regulations and require anyone who sold more than one gun to register as a Federal Firearm License (FFL) holder.
Republicans Helped Biden Implement ‘Backdoor’ Universal Background Checks, Gun Advocates Say https://t.co/0h7zCJUdLh
— US Burning (@UsBurning) March 15, 2023
Aidan Johnston, the Director of Federal Affairs for the Gun Owners Of America (GOA), expressed his indignation at the move and accused Senators Cornyn and McConnell of allowing President Biden to alter the definition of a gun store through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. According to Johnston, the revised definition will pave the way for backdoor universal background checks, akin to the Obama administration's failed attempt. He further stated that President Biden's new scheme aims to transform private gun sellers into FFLs, limiting their ability to conduct personal firearm transfers without a background check and a Firearm Transaction Record (Form 4473) recorded in ATF's unlawful national federal registry.
President Biden's latest action is another instance of the Democratic Party's continuous assault on Second Amendment rights. The move indicates the administration's intention to exploit the new executive order to subvert the rights of lawful gun owners and increase the difficulty of obtaining firearms. Additionally, the Biden administration seeks to advance their gun control agenda and limit Americans' right to own firearms through this move.
The addition of language to the BSCA by Republican Senators Cornyn and McConnell that permitted Biden to broaden background checks is a significant blunder that should not have occurred. This action will only contribute to the tightening of restrictions on law-abiding gun owners and create additional obstacles for them to acquire firearms. It is evident that this move was executed to advance the Democratic Party's gun control agenda and limit Americans' right to own firearms.
It is crucial for every American, irrespective of their political stance, to defend their Second Amendment rights and resist any efforts by the Biden administration or any other governmental body to curtail them. We must unite to guarantee that our Second Amendment rights remain intact and that we have the freedom to bear arms without concern for government intervention.
