ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
What happened
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives finalized a rule Thursday that expands the pool of gun sellers who must run background checks before selling a firearm. The rule seeks to close the "gun show loophole" by using a 2022 law, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), to require checks for gun sales conducted online, through the mail and at gun shows, though not for hobbyists selling from their collection or inherited firearms.
Who said what
The new rule will "keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and felons," President Joe Biden said. It closes a loophole that allows "anyone intent on doing harm to buy a gun," and "we're all safer for it," said former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.). Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who helped pass the BSCA, called the new rule a "power grab" that distorts the law's intent.
The commentary
This is the "largest expansion of background checks" since 1993, Axios said. Legal challenges may pare back the rule, but polls show "expanding background checks has widespread public support."
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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