President Joe Biden campaigned in part on his promises to enact stricter gun control measures if elected.
Now that he is in the White House, two major pro-gun organizations have spoken out in opposition to Biden’s public support for measures that could criminalize law-abiding gun owners and bankrupt the firearm-manufacturing industry.
“Time to act”
As the Washington Examiner reported, Biden gave a hint of what might come in a statement earlier this month.
On the three-year anniversary of the tragic mass shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida, the president insisted that his administration “will not wait” for the next tragedy to take action against what he dubbed an “epidemic of gun violence” across the U.S.
“Today, I am calling on Congress to enact commonsense gun law reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets,” Biden’s statement continued.
He went on to declare that the “time to act is now” and that his administration owes it “to all those we’ve lost and to all those left behind to grieve to make a change.”
The founder and president of the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, however, is among those who are voicing their opposition.
“Virtually nothing”
Tim Schmidt wrote a letter to the Biden administration stating, in part: “While we can agree that there are several ‘commonsense’ and long overdue changes needed to our nation’s gun laws, we firmly believe that the path forward should be focused on supporting and protecting responsible, law-abiding Americans — not criminalizing and punishing them.”
Biden’s proposals, Schmidt argued, would do “virtually nothing” to reduce gun crime or keep Americans safe, calling it “deeply troubling” that the president would exploit the somber occasion of the Parkland massacre anniversary to push for legislation that would not have prevented that shooting.
Rather than increasing taxes on firearms, he said that support for nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry permits would be a position that could truly bring about positive change.
A prominent firearms industry trade group also took issue with Biden’s stance.
In its statement, the National Shooting Sports Foundation blasted the president’s rhetoric regarding the removal of the industry’s “immunity” from lawsuits as well as moves to undo what is known as the “Fair Access” rule, which would clear the way for financial institutions to stop doing business with the firearm industry.
The post ‘Deeply troubling’: Pro-gun groups speak out against Biden proposals first appeared on Conservative Institute.
No comments: