Page 3 - aruba-today-20240412

A3
U.S. NEWS Friday 12 april 2024
The Biden administration will require thousands more gun dealers

to run background checks on buyers

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER stepping its legal authority.
and COLLEEN LONG Biden administration of-
Associated Press ficials said they are confi-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Thou- dent the rule, which drew
sands more firearms deal- more than 380,000 public
ers across the United States comments, would with-
will have to run back- stand lawsuits.
ground checks on buy- The administration first pro-
ers at gun shows or other posed the rule in August, af-
places outside brick-and- ter the passage of the most
mortar stores, according to sweeping gun violence bill
a Biden administration rule in decades, a bipartisan
that will soon go into effect. compromise in response
The rule aims to close a to the massacre of 19 stu-
loophole that has allowed dents and two teachers at
tens of thousands of guns a Uvalde, Texas elementa-
to be sold every year by ry school.
unlicensed dealers who do That law expanded the
not perform background definition of those who are
checks to ensure the po- “engaged in the business”
tential buyer is not legally of selling firearms, and
prohibited from having a are required to become
firearm. Gun rights groups licensed by the ATF and
are expected to fight it in President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, therefore run background
court. Steve Dettelbach speaks during an event at White House in Washington, April 11, 2022. checks. The rule, which
Associated Press
It’s the administration’s lat- implements the change in
est effort to combat gun the job and pass universal of his administration and re- that it is “already working to the law, will take effect 30
violence. But in a conten- background checks legis- election campaign, creat- use all means available to days after it is published in
tious election year, it’s also lation now.” ing the White House Office stop this unlawful rule.” the Federal Register.
an effort to show voters es- The rule, which was final- of Gun Violence Prevention The National Shooting There are already roughly
pecially younger ones for ized this week, makes clear overseen by Vice President Sports Foundation, an in- 80,000 federally licensed
whom gun violence deeply that anyone who sells fire- Kamala Harris. Biden also dustry trade group, also firearms dealers. Admin-
resonates that the White arms predominantly to has urged Congress to ban has warned of a court chal- istration officials believe
House is trying to stop the earn a profit must be fed- so-called assault weap- lenge if the rule was final- the new rule will impact
deaths. erally licensed and con- ons something Democrats ized as written. Lawrence more than 20,000 dealers
“This is going to keep guns duct background checks, shied from even just a few Keane, the foundation’s who have gotten away
out of the hands of domes- regardless of whether they years ago. senior vice president and with selling firearms with-
tic abusers and felons,” are selling on the internet, The rule is likely to be chal- general counsel, said Thurs- out a license and perform-
President Joe Biden said in at a gun show or at a brick- lenged in court by gun day that the organization ing background checks at
a statement. “And my ad- and-mortar store, Attorney rights activists who believe was reviewing the regula- places like gun shows and
ministration is going to con- General Merrick Garland the Democratic president is tion after contending pre- over the internet by claim-
tinue to do everything we told reporters. unfairly targeting gun own- viously that the Bureau of ing they aren’t “engaged
possibly can to save lives. Biden has made curtailing ers. The National Rifle Asso- Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms in the business” of firearm
Congress needs to finish gun violence a major part ciation said in a statement and Explosives was over- sales.q

Tennessee lawmakers send bill to ban first-cousin marriages to governor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — In a previous committee ban same-sex cousins from public health issue with a ed down Bulso’s amend-
The Republican-led Tennes- hearing on the bill, Bulso getting married, saying male marrying a male first ment and approved the
see Legislature has over- lightheartedly shared a sto- that would run afoul of the cousin?” Bulso said. “And I ban proposed by Demo-
whelmingly voted to send ry about how his grandpar- U.S. Supreme Court’s gay think the answer is no.” cratic Rep. Darren Jerni-
GOP Gov. Bill Lee a propos- ents were first cousins who marriage decision. Ultimately, lawmakers vot- gan. q
al that would ban marriage came to the U.S. from Italy He also couched his argu-
between first cousins. in the 1920s, then traveled ment by saying that he
The House cast a 75-2 vote from Ohio to Tennessee to thought the Supreme Court
Thursday on the bill after get married. He and other decision on gay marriage
the Senate previously ap- lawmakers laughed, and was “grievously wrong.”
proved it without any op- Bulso voted for the bill in Bulso has supported legis-
position. that committee. lation aimed at the LGBTQ
But a particularly vocal op- Then during Thursday’s floor community. That includes
ponent, Republican Rep. debate, the socially con- a bill he is sponsoring that
Gino Bulso, took up most of servative attorney argued would largely ban display-
the debate time, as he ar- that the risk of married ing pride flags in public
gued for an amendment to cousins having a child with school classrooms, which
allow first-cousin marriages birth defects does not exist civil liberties advocates
if the couple first seeks for gay couples. He con- have contended runs afoul
counseling from a genetic tended there is no compel- of the U.S. Constitution. The Tennessee Capitol is seen, Jan. 8, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn.
counselor. ling government interest to “The question is, is there a Associated Press