The new federal gun law signed by President Biden will makes it more difficult for young people to buy guns, bars domestic abusers from buying guns and helps local authorities take guns out of the hands of those deemed dangerous. On Saturday, Biden invited Twitter users to share how they have been affected by gun violence and said that he was hosting a celebration for the Safer Communities Act, reports the Associated Press.
As mass shootings continue to shake the U.S., gun control advocates are not celebrating. On July 4, another mass shooting occurred in Highland Park, Il. at an independence day parade. Advocates believe Biden should create a dedicated office working to end gun violence, rather than leaving it to the Domestic Policy Council. Biden established a gender policy council to work toward access to reproductive health care. Igor Volsky, director of Guns Down America, called the new bill a “bare minimum” and said Biden was acting as a “bystander” to gun violence. Most of the $13 billion authorized in the legislation would go to boosting mental health programs in schools and supporting schools that have experienced mass shootings. The bill does not include universal background checks or assault weapon bans, which are restrictions that gun control advocates are fighting to enact.