WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — On Thursday, President Joe Biden issued new executive actions he says will improve gun safety.
“We have an opportunity to fulfill the first responsibility of government, to keep our people safe,” the president said.
Biden’s actions will create tighter regulations around guns assembled from kits and pistols with a stabilizing brace, as well as direct the justice department to publish red flag legislation that can be adapted by states.
“Just like with background checks, the vast majority of Americans support these extreme risk protection order laws and it’s time to put these laws on the books and protect even more people,” Biden said.
But Republicans say this is not the right way for the president to tackle gun violence.
“He’s not holding people accountable for their actions. He’s holding innocent people accountable for the actions of people who are violent,” Congressman Fred Keller (R-Penn.) said.
Keller says the violence doesn’t come from the guns, but from bad individuals.
“You’re not going to solve that problem until you get to the root cause and stop talking about the instrument somebody uses and talk about what causes that behavior,” Keller said.
Keller says the issue should be left up to congress. But the president says curbing gun violence requires taking action.
“Whether Congress acts or not, I’m gonna use all the resources at my disposal as president to keep the American people safe,” the president said.