With Congress Divided Over New Gun Legislation, Biden Issues Executive Order
With Congress Divided Over New Gun Legislation, Biden Issues Executive Order
President Joe Biden delivered remarks in Monterey Park, California, after issuing an executive order aiming to increase background checks for those who purchase guns. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption
President Joe Biden delivered remarks in Monterey Park, California, after issuing an executive order aiming to increase background checks for those who purchase guns.
Mario Tama/Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden has signed an executive order that he says can keep more guns out of the hands of dangerous people by increasing the number of buyers who have to submit background checks.
The White House says that's the closest the U.S. can get to universal background checks without additional legislation from Congress, where Democrats and Republicans remain divided on any new actions aimed at reducing gun violence.
NPR's Deepa Shivaram reports on the order, which Biden announced during a visit to Monterey Park, California, where a gunman killed 11 people and injured nine more in January, one of over 110 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year.
And NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice about the order's potential impact and where gun legislation goes from here.
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This episode was produced by Elena Burnett and Alejandra Marquez Janse. It was edited by Roberta Rampton, Ashley Brown and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.