US President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan gun safety bill into law on Saturday – the first major federal gun reform in three decades, days after the Supreme Court expanded gun rights.
“It’s a memorable day,” Biden said with his wife, Jill, at the White House. “God willing, this is going to save a lot of lives.”
The Supreme Court on Thursday declared for the first time that the US Constitution protects a person’s right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense. Gun control has long been a divisive issue in the country, with several attempts to impose new controls on gun sales that have failed from time to time.
The new law includes provisions to help states keep guns out of the hands of people deemed a danger to themselves or others, and to prevent the sale of guns to people convicted of abusing unmarried intimate partners. It does not prohibit the sale of assault-style rifles or high-capacity magazines.
The law takes some steps on background checks by allowing access to information on significant crimes committed by juveniles for the first time. It also cracks down on the sale of guns to buyers convicted of domestic violence.
It provides new federal funding to states that operate “red flag” laws aimed at removing guns from people deemed dangerous to themselves and others.
Biden said he would host an event in July to sign the bill for victims of gun violence.
Biden said, “His message to us was do something…today we did.”
The president on Friday also reiterated his criticism of the Supreme Court’s decision that decimated the constitutional right to abortion across the country, and said his administration is going to focus on how states implement the decision and This ensured that he did not violate other laws.
“Is the Supreme Court broken? The Supreme Court has made some terrible decisions,” Biden said. “Jill and I know how painful and devastating the decision is for so many Americans and I mean so many Americans. We are going to take action to protect women’s rights and reproductive health.”
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