Congresswoman Barbara Lee Releases Statement on POTUS Executive Rule on Gun Background Checks
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) released the following statement on reports of the Biden administration taking executive action to expand background checks for gun purchases and close the “gun show loophole.” The loophole allowed individuals to purchase firearms at gun shows from private sellers without undergoing a background check. Private sellers at these events are not required to conduct background checks on buyers, unlike licensed firearms dealers who are required to do so.
Congresswoman Lee has legislation to repeal the Tiahrt amendments, which are a series of provisions attached to federal spending bills related to the Bureau on Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco. These amendments were primarily aimed at restricting the ATF's ability to share certain gun trace data and enforcing gun control measures.
“The Biden administration took an important step forward with this executive action. The gun show loophole was a harmful gap in federal law that impeded the ability of law enforcement to trace gun sales and efficiently get guns off our streets and out of our communities,” said Congresswoman Lee. “My legislation to repeal the Tiahrt amendment must compliment this effort because the current lack of access to comprehensive gun tracing data hampers efforts to address these loopholes and combat illegal gun trafficking more broadly. We must equip law enforcement with the tools and resources to keep our communities safe, get these ghost guns off of our streets, and end this epidemic of gun violence.”