Biden expected to announce ghost gun rule and nominee for ATF director
President Biden is expected to announce Monday new policy measures on untraceable "ghost guns" and his replacement nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, two people with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.
Republicans were united against Biden's first nominee, 25-year ATF veteran David Chipman, leading the White House to withdraw the nomination. Biden is expected to announce that he's chosen Steve Dettlebach as his replacement nominee, six people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Dettlebach served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016.
With gun violence rising in many major cities across the United States, the White House has been urged to take steps against ghost guns. These weapons do not have serial numbers, so law enforcement can't track them or carry out background checks. Justice Department statistics show that from 2016 to 2020, law enforcement officials were able to recover almost 24,000 ghost guns from crime scenes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The White House is expected to enact a rule changing the current definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts, AP reports, and make it a requirement that dealers run background checks on people who want to buy ghost gun kits that contain the parts necessary to build a firearm.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The Democrats: time for wholesale reform?
Talking Point In the 'wreckage' of the election, the party must decide how to rebuild
By The Week UK Published
-
Global court issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Speed Read The International Criminal Court issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who stand accused of war crimes
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
ATACMS: the long-range American missiles being fired by Ukraine
The Explainer President Joe Biden has authorized their use for the first time in the war
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published