'Simple, Pragmatic Steps That Can Save Lives': Stand With Parkland Applaud President Biden's New Gun Safety Measures
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - President Joe Biden has announced a series of executive actions he will take, aimed at curbing gun violence.
Stand with Parkland, which advocates for public safety reforms focused on the safety of children, applauded the administration for taking action.
Biden's measures include a directive to the Justice Department to publish model "red flag" laws for states that allow the temporary removal of guns from people deemed at high risk of harming themselves or others. The DOJ will also have 30 days to come up with new rules for "ghost guns" that can be built using parts and instructions purchased online.
Another proposed rule targets stabilizing braces for pistols, which aid in the weapons' accuracy and manage recoil.
Biden also announced new investments in intervention programs in violence-prone communities.
"Whether Congress acts or not, I'm gonna use all the resources at my disposal as president to keep Americans safe from gun violence," Biden said in the Rose Garden where he announced his plans. "But there's much more that Congress can do to help that effort, and they can do it right now. They've offered plenty of thoughts and prayers, members of Congress, but they've passed not a single new federal law to reduce gun violence. Enough prayers. Time for some action."
Stand with Parkland said the Biden-Harris administration reforms simple, pragmatic steps that can save lives.
"Red Flag laws, eliminating "ghost guns", and increasing funding for the School Violence Protection Program are vitally important. It's also time for the Senate to vote on the widely supported background check bills already passed by the House," the group said in a statement.
They noted that in a meeting with the administration's domestic policy team, they stressed the importance of Red flag laws, which could have prevented the murder of our loved ones three years ago in the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School. They this type of law already exists in 20 states and provides due process rights for individuals.
President Biden's announcement on the measures comes after a few weeks of several high-profile mass shootings in Georgia, Colorado, and, on Wednesday, South Carolina.
The president's moves are sure to face opposition from Republicans and gun rights advocates.
The White House has also called on Congress to act, starting with two background check bills that the House has already passed. Both bills face Republican opposition in the evenly divided Senate.
But in a statement released Thursday, Republican Senator Pat Toomey said, "If done in a manner that respects the rights of law-abiding citizens, I believe there is an opportunity to strengthen our background check system."
Stand with Parkland said they also fully support background checks on all firearms purchases, including so-called "ghost guns."
"Closing this loophole will help ensure that only responsible firearms owners, who follow the law, have access to firearms. It is critical to prevent people who cannot pass existing background checks from purchasing firearms," they said in their statement.
The President has also called on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban. In a statement, top House Republican Kevin McCarthy said his caucus will "strongly oppose" the president's actions, which he calls an infringement on the right to bear arms. In Thursday's remarks, President Biden said charges that he is infringing on the Second Amendment are "phony arguments."