Biden Signs Executive Order Strengthening Gun Regulations While Calling On Congress To Pass Tougher Firearms Legislation

President Joe Biden has announced an executive order to increase funding for current gun laws across the U.S.

The President urged Congress to pass more stringent laws on assault rifles while visiting Monterey Park, the site of a January mass shooting event that killed 11 people during a Lunar New Year celebration.

The president offered somber remarks to the victims’ families, giving a brief statement on all eleven people lost.

“I’m here on behalf of the American people to mourn with you, to pray with you, to let you know you are loved and not alone,” he said to the crowd of 200 people. “I know what it’s like to get that call… I know what it’s like to lose a loved one so suddenly. It’s like losing a piece of your soul.”

After recognizing individual accomplishments from the lives lost in Monterey Park, the president turned to his administration’s policy actions.

“Today, I’m announcing another executive order that will accelerate and intensify this work to save lives,” Biden said to a crowd in Monterey Park that included family members of people slain in the January attack.

“None of this absolves Congress from the responsibility of acting,” he added. “Let’s finish the job. Ban assault weapons. Ban them again. Do it now. Enough. Do something. Do something big.”

Biden’s executive order provides funds to the attorney general to investigate whether gun dealers comply with existing background check laws. It also adds funding for transit agencies that have collected stolen assault rifles and directs agencies with federal funding to cooperate with the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network to develop better national gun data.

The measures in the executive order are a far cry from the campaign promises that Biden made around gun safety. He was able to pass a modest reform last year, but bolder action has been blocked by gun advocates in Congress.