President Joe Biden signed a historic gun control bill into law on Saturday, marking a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation in a deeply divided Congress and delivering on his promise to take action on gun violence after a series of deadly mass shootings across the country.
The new law, which Biden hailed as the most significant piece of gun legislation in nearly three decades, aims to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands by strengthening background checks, expanding the categories of prohibited buyers, and encouraging states to adopt “red flag” laws that allow courts to temporarily confiscate firearms from people who pose a threat to themselves or others.
The signing ceremony at the White House came exactly one month after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. The tragedy sparked renewed calls for action on gun reform, which had stalled for years in the face of Republican opposition and pressure from the powerful gun lobby.
Biden, who has made gun control a priority of his administration, said he was moved by the courage and resilience of the survivors and families of the Uvalde victims, who urged him to act swiftly and decisively to prevent more bloodshed.
“They asked me one thing: Please don’t let this happen again. Please don’t let this happen to another family,” Biden said. “They didn’t ask for much. They just asked for something. Something to make it stop.”
Biden said he was proud that Democrats and Republicans came together to pass the bill, which he called “a testament to the power of the American people” who demanded change. He thanked the lawmakers who worked across the aisle to craft a compromise that could overcome the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, where Democrats have a slim majority.
He also praised the advocacy groups and activists who have been fighting for gun reform for years, especially those who have lost loved ones to gun violence or survived it themselves. He singled out former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head during a constituent event in 2011 and has since become a leading voice for gun safety.
“Gabby, you’re an inspiration to all of us,” Biden said. “You’ve turned a personal nightmare into a national movement.”
The new law contains several provisions that aim to close loopholes and gaps in the current background check system, which is designed to prevent felons, domestic abusers, fugitives, and people with serious mental illnesses from buying guns.
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One of the key measures is raising the minimum age for buying handguns from 18 to 21, matching the existing age limit for buying rifles and shotguns. This change was inspired by the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a 19-year-old gunman used a legally purchased handgun to kill 17 students and staff.
Another measure is extending the background check requirement to cover all sales and transfers of firearms, including those made online, at gun shows, or through private transactions. Currently, only licensed dealers are required to conduct background checks, leaving an estimated 20% of gun sales unregulated.
A third measure is eliminating what is known as the “boyfriend loophole,” which allows people who have been convicted of abusing or stalking their dating partners to buy guns. Under current law, only people who have been married to, lived with, or had children with their abusers are protected by the federal ban on domestic violence offenders owning guns.
The new law also provides incentives and grants for states to enact “red flag” laws, which allow family members or law enforcement officers to petition a judge to temporarily remove guns from someone who is deemed to be dangerous. Currently, only 19 states and Washington, D.C., have such laws on the books.
Additionally, the new law cracks down on illegal gun trafficking and straw purchasing, which involve buying guns for someone else who is prohibited from owning them. The law increases penalties for these crimes and creates a new federal task force to coordinate investigations and prosecutions.
Biden said these measures were common-sense steps that would save lives without infringing on the constitutional right to bear arms. He cited polls that show overwhelming public support for stronger gun laws among Americans of all political stripes.
“These are not radical ideas. These are not Democratic or Republican ideas. These are American ideas,” Biden said. “These are solutions that will make our communities safer and our children more secure.”
However, not everyone was happy with the new law. The National Rifle Association (NRA), the nation’s largest gun rights group, denounced it as an assault on the Second Amendment and vowed to challenge it in court.
“These measures were hastily jammed through with ambiguous language and overbroad definitions to appease gun control supporters in Congress,” the NRA said in a statement. “They will do nothing to stop criminals or prevent mass shootings, but they will infringe on the rights and freedoms of law-abiding gun owners.”
Some Republicans also criticized the law as ineffective and unconstitutional. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who voted against the bill, said it would not have prevented the Uvalde shooting or any other mass shooting in recent history. He accused Biden and the Democrats of exploiting tragedies to push a political agenda.
“They don’t want to solve this problem. They want to take away the rights of law-abiding citizens,” Cruz said. “This bill is not about saving lives. It’s about taking away our guns.”
On the other hand, some Democrats and gun control advocates said the law did not go far enough and called for more action on other issues, such as banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, which have been used in many mass shootings.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who voted for the bill, said it was a good start but not enough to end the epidemic of gun violence in America.
“This bill does not do everything we need to end gun violence,” Murray said. “But doing nothing was the most extreme option on the table.”
Biden acknowledged that the new law was not a panacea and that more work needed to be done to address the root causes and consequences of gun violence, such as mental health, poverty, racism, and trauma. He said he would continue to work with Congress and use his executive authority to pursue further reforms.
He also urged Americans to keep up the pressure on their elected officials and hold them accountable for their actions or inactions on gun safety.
“We can’t let up. We can’t give up. We can’t lose hope,” Biden said. “We have to keep fighting for the change we need and deserve.”
Biden signed the bill before departing for Europe, where he will attend a series of meetings with world leaders over Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine. He said he hoped that the bipartisan cooperation on gun reform would set an example for other critical issues facing the nation and the world.
“If we can reach a compromise on guns,” he said, “we ought to be able to reach a compromise on other issues, such as veterans’ health care, cutting-edge American innovation, and so much more.”
