President Biden signs Bipartisan Gun Control Bill
Passing with bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and the Senate, President Joe Biden has signed the Safer Communities Act into law. This gun control bill is the first major change to federal firearms laws in almost 30 years.
According to CBS News, the Safer Communities Act includes the following measures aimed at reducing gun violence:
- Enhanced background checks for 18-21 year-olds purchasing a firearm
- Clarifies the definition of a federally licensed firearm dealer
- Includes penalties for straw purchases and gun trafficking
- Ends the “boyfriend loophole” which prevents individuals convicted of domestic abuse form purchasing a firearm for five years
- Increases funding for mental health services
- Incentivizes states to create crisis center programs
The bill passed with shocking bipartisan support; the senate voted 65-33 with 15 conservatives voting in favor. The Senate scheduled the vote just a few hours after it was released, giving lawmakers little time to read the bill and make a decision.
There are some portions of this bill that will be beneficial, and some that are concerning. To start, an increase in federal funding for mental health services and crisis programs is a great way to combat the biggest epidemic our country is facing: mental health issues.
However, the bill also contains incentives for states to enact “red flag laws” which would prevent an individual from owning a firearm if the state deems them to be a threat to others.
Red flag laws are blatantly unconstitutional. These gun control measures violate both the second amendment and the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment. As an American, you have the right to own a firearm. The government does not have the authority to deny that right from citizens on a whim just because they THINK a person might commit a crime.
There are certain times when Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) are appropriate to remove a firearm from an individual. But expansive red flag laws create an accusatory culture where a person can claim without evidence that a gun owner they dislike is a threat, giving the state the ability to then remove that person’s right.
The support for this bill from so many conservative Senators was shocking. But this legislation should not be applauded. Like many bills passed by Congress, it has a few good qualities on the surface but is actually filled with radical and unjust legislation.
