Washington, D.C.— Today, the Biden Administration released final regulations to expand background checks for the purchase of a firearm, as provided for in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. America’s mayors have called for closing the loopholes in the background check system, and the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and ATF Director Steven Dettelbach urging them to finalize the proposed rule. Applauding the new rule, USCM President Reno (NV) Mayor Hillary Schieve released the following statement:
“Every single life lost to gun violence is a devastating tragedy that we simply can never accept. America’s mayors know well the searing heartache that our inadequate gun laws have yielded. While we have much more to do, we must celebrate today’s progress. It is only common sense that we require background checks when buying a gun, but it took decades of work to close these gaps. America’s mayors were proud to help fight for this bipartisan bill, and we commend President Biden for his leadership on the issue. Today’s action is a reminder that we are not helpless against the scourge of gun violence in America. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act proved that we can fight back, and that spirit should continue to guide us as we pursue even bolder actions to get illegal guns out of our communities and make American cities safer.”