Durbin Applauds Biden-Harris Executive Actions To Curb Gun Violence And Save Lives

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on President Biden and Vice President Harris's new executive actions to help curb gun violence and save lives:

"Gun violence is a uniquely American crisis. As they have since day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris are taking actionable steps to help curb this crisis and save lives. Congress was part of that effort by passing the most significant gun safety legislation in a generation in a bipartisan manner, but we can't stop there. Families, teachers, and neighbors alike are demanding more. As the Administration takes executive action, I stand by ready to work to advance commonsense gun safety proposals in Congress with any of my colleagues on either side of the aisle."

Durbin has led efforts in Congress to combat gun violence. Durbin was a strong supporter of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which cracks down on straw purchasing, expands background checks for buyers under 21 years of age, takes steps to close the "boyfriend loophole," supports state red flag laws, and offers billions in funding for counseling, mental health, and trauma support for victims of gun violence.

While the bipartisan legislation was a starting point for gun reform, Durbin is a staunch advocate for the Assault Weapons Banand additional gun safety measures. Since BSCA was signed into law, Durbin held a full committee hearing on public safety and gun safety laws in a post-Bruen America; filed an amicus brief in opposition to legal challenges in U.S. v. Rahimi, in which the Supreme Court ultimately ruled to uphold a ban on firearm possession for domestic violence offenders; condemned the Supreme Court decision in Garland v. Cargill, which ruled a bump stock does not convert a rifle into a machine gun; and introduced legislation to curb firearms trafficking enabled by weak American gun laws, among other efforts.

Details on the Biden-Harris executive actions to combat gun violence can be found here.

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