According to a source familiar with the planning, President Joe Biden plans to announce new executive orders on weapons on Thursday, fulfilling a promise he made after two deadly shootings last month.
Biden has proposed imposing background checks on so-called “ghost weapons,” as well as other efforts to improve current gun laws.
The scope of Thursday’s announcement, which was first stated by Politico, was unclear, and the White House provided no additional information.
During a regular briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki said, “I expect the President to have more to say tomorrow.”
Biden said last month following a mass shooting in Colorado, “I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future.”
The administration was also considering taking steps in other ways, such as notifying law enforcement agencies when a federal background check fails. Background check notices, according to gun control proponents, may theoretically flag unstable or criminal individuals attempting to obtain guns.
Following the shootings last month, Biden urged Congress to take action such as reenacting an assault weapons ban. During a press conference, he admitted that passing an infrastructure plan was his top legislative priority, and that he agreed that careful timing was crucial to the success of any potential legislation.
During his campaign, Biden stated that he would appoint his attorney general to improve the implementation of current gun laws in order to reduce gun violence. He has made a campaign promise to give $900 million to community-based violence-prevention efforts, which the administration is still working out how to implement.
