Mandatory Background Checks on Firearms

 

The US will now require mandatory background checks on the sale of firearms on the internet and at gun shows, the US justice department announced on Thursday, closing a loophole that previously exempted private transactions from restrictions that apply to licensed dealers.

“Under this regulation, it will not matter if guns are sold on the internet, at a gun show, or at a brick-and-mortar store: if you sell guns predominantly to earn a profit, you must be licensed, and you must conduct background checks,” the attorney general Merrick Garland told reporters on a press call announcing the measure.

The White House estimated that this measure will affect about 23,000 more individuals, who will be required to be licensed as a dealer after the rule’s implementation.

·       How often did people take advantage of this loophole? The White House estimates that about 22% of guns owned by Americans were acquired without a background check.

·       How have conservatives responded to the announcement? Republicans were lukewarm to near-identical proposals by Barack Obama in 2016 and, with a current House majority, have been resistant to calls for meaningful gun control measures since. However, Republican support is not actually necessary for this new rule to go through.   

                                                                                                    -The Guardian