Staff Reports
The White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, proudly announced the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence in the U.S. She also highlighted a new rule to require background checks for all gun dealers engaged in the business of firearms selling. However, conservatives argue that the so-called “gun show loophole” does not exist and the new rule is just a way for the federal government to gain more power and harass law-abiding firearm owners.
Biden's New ATF Rule Could Open Millions of Lawful Gun Owners to Criminal Prosecution https://t.co/vT4oyEo4Sv
— Joyce Taylor (@JTaylorForMAGA) April 11, 2024
According to conservatives, the Biden administration’s new rule may lead to criminal prosecution for millions of gun owners and divert the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from focusing on real gun traffickers. Additionally, the new rule broadens the definition of who is “engaged in the business” of selling firearms, potentially affecting private sales that are not subject to background checks, which are required for commercial sales.
Conservatives are concerned that the vague nature of the rule could lead to more private sales going through background checks and potentially resulting in federal felonies for gun owners offering a single gun for sale. Some fear that the Biden administration is intentionally aiming for this outcome, and if more gun owners decide to obtain a federal firearms license due to the rule, the gun control lobby may use it to push for increased agency funding and stricter eligibility requirements for obtaining a federal firearms license.
