With Republican help, Joe Biden launches a new round of gun control

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Republican Joe Biden gun control gun show loophole background checks

With Republican help, Joe Biden launches a new round of gun control orders

With plenty of help from the Republican Party, Joe Biden launched a new round of gun control orders earlier this month when he redefined what it means to be “engaged in the business” of selling firearms and by closing the so-called gun-show loophole.

Joe Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms made the announcement earlier this month (via ABC News):

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has just implemented a change in the federal register language, which was previously more specific to who was selling guns, and the agency did it in accordance with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was passed in 2022.

Prior to the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, those “engaged in the business” of firearms dealer were required to register to become a federally licensed firearm dealer, according to the language previously used. The definition that ATF is implementing … is more specific to better regulate the market in accordance with the new federal law, according to the White House.

The rule now explicitly lists the types of commercial activities that indicate whether a person should become a federally licensed dealer and thus be required to run a background check; prevents people from evading the licensing and background check requirements by claiming that they are just selling a few guns, according to the White House; and prevents people from falsely claiming that guns are part of a personal collection and exempt a seller from running a background check on a buyer. (Emphasis mine)

Want to sell a gun to a friend or family member? You will soon be required to register with the federal government as someone “engaged in the business” of being a firearms dealer in addition to conducting a NICS background check.

So, how did the Republican Party help Biden with his latest gun control order? I’m glad you asked.

As mentioned above, Biden issued this new order under the powers given to him by Congress under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) — a piece of legislation authored by and passed with the help of the Republican Party.

The BSCA was the brainchild of Marco Rubio, who pretended to be opposed to the legislation by voting against final passage. However, the law received a “yes” vote from 9 of the top 11 highest NRA-funded Republican Senators. Included in the list of conservative Republicans cowards receiving massive sums of money from the NRA at the time were Mitt Romney (UT), Richard Burr (NC), Roy Blunt (MO), Thom Tillis (NC), Joni Ernst (IA), Rob Portman (OH), Todd C. Young (IN), Bill Cassidy (LA), and Pat Toomey (PA).

Using talking points designed by Republicans to hide their true motivations behind the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, John Cornyn claimed at the time that the legislation wouldn’t keep people from buying a gun, nor deny the constitutionally protected due process rights for people who have their guns seized under red flag laws:

“Unless a person is convicted of a crime or is adjudicated mentally ill, their ability to purchase a firearm will not be impacted by this legislation.

“What we’re trying do is prevent dangerous individuals from unleashing violence on their communities, and one way of achieving that goal is through more robust crisis intervention programs.

“One of the things that we’ve agreed upon is they have to have robust due process protections because we’re talking about a constitutional right. So, if the new law does not include due process protections, it will not be eligible for these grants, no matter what form that crisis intervention program takes.” (Emphasis mine)

Nothing more than political doublespeak used to hide the fact that many people were likely to be denied their Second Amendment right to purchase a firearm while many more were likely to have their firearms seized by law enforcement without due process and/or in violation of their Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

Seizing guns without due process (Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments) is how Constitution-shredding Extreme Risk Protection Orders (aka red flag laws) are implemented. Red flag laws allow citizens to anonymously petition a judge for an order giving police authority to seize all firearms from people deemed a threat to themselves or others … by force if necessary. No warrant. No arrest. No charges.

One of the provisions included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was the long-held desire of Republicans and Democrats to make red flag laws the law of the land, which was the motivation behind another order given by Joe Biden earlier this year when Kamala Harris announced the opening of the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center, a national office charged with the express purpose of using federal power to force states to implement and enforce red flag laws.

Though Harris got most of the facetime in front of the camera, a press release by Merrick Garland let America know that the new ERPO Resource Center will operate under the auspices of the Department of Justice (via Justice.gov):

“The launch of the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center will provide our partners across the country with valuable resources to keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The establishment of the Center is the latest example of the Justice Department’s work to use every tool provided by the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to protect communities from gun violence.” (Emphasis mine)

For the “this wouldn’t happen if Trump was in the White House” crowd, let me refer you to my recent article titled Biden or Trump: Tyranny wins and liberty loses either way – Part V where I fully document that both men are anti-Second Amendment, pro-gun control tyrants seeking the destruction of our God-given right to bear arms.

There are many who doubt that Donald Trump and the Republican Party helped Joe Biden spread his gun control gospel, but the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and history tells us otherwise.

 

David Leach is the owner of the Strident Conservative. He holds people of every political stripe accountable for their failure to uphold conservative values, and he promotes those values instead of political parties.

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