President Biden announces new regulations on ghost guns
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- They're called ghost guns -- assembly kits you can buy over the internet and put together a firearm without a serial number and not requiring a background check.
"Ghost guns are real guns. They kill people, they hurt people just the way regular guns do, and they should be treated the same way under the law," said Josh Fleitman of CeaseFirePA.
On Monday, President Joe Biden announced new regulations on ghost guns, drawing criticism and praise on both sides of the gun debate.
At a Rose Garden event before victims of gun violence, President Biden showed how an assembly kit can produce a gun without a serial number and without requiring a background check. Saying he was tired of inaction by Congress, he announced new regulations requiring both, saying this will reduce their attractiveness to criminals.
"All of a sudden, it's no longer a ghost. It has a return address. It's going to help save lives, reduce crime and get more criminals off the streets," Biden said.
But Jim Stoker of Firearm Owners Against Crime said, "It's not the president's place to make law. It falls back on the Legislature to do so. So, it's an overstep from his office."
Stoker immediately denounced the action, saying it violated the Second Amendment rights to assemble firearms. He believes that requiring serial numbers and background checks won't deter criminals from committing crimes.
"Making more laws to hamper law-abiding citizens isn't going to change those events. I don't see where restricting a citizen's right or ability to manufacture their own firearm is going to prevent criminals from doing what criminals do," he said.
Though gun control advocates applauded the move.
"We're really happy to see President Biden and the federal government taking action against this growing threat," Fleitman said.
But the president didn't stop there. He also called again for universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons -- once again making the debate on guns front and center.
