President Joe Biden is expected to sign a new executive order on Tuesday that could affect the future of gun purchases.
The order will be an effort to increase the number of background checks needed to purchase firearms and encourage more secure storage of firearms.
"A large majority of Americans support background checks and agree it's common sense to check whether someone is a felon or domestic abuser before allowing them to buy a gun," the White House said in statement. "This move would mean fewer guns will be sold without background checks, and therefore fewer guns will end up in the hands of felons and domestic abusers."
The White House said Biden is expected to sign the order at Monterey Park, California. The city was the location of a deadly Lunar New Year shooting back in January, which killed 11 people.
The order moves the U.S. "as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation," the White House said.
"The Executive Order will also keep more guns out of dangerous hands by increasing the effective use of 'red flag' laws, strengthen efforts to hold the gun industry accountable, and accelerate law enforcement efforts to identify and apprehend the shooters menacing our communities," the statement said.
Biden is also encouraging the independent Federal Trade Commission to issue a public report analyzing how gun manufacturers market firearms to minors and how such manufacturers market firearms to all civilians, including through the use of military imagery.
According to the White House, the executive order will:
• Increase the number of background checks by ensuring that all background checks required by law are conducted before firearm purchases, moving the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation.
• Improve public awareness and increase appropriate use of extreme risk protection ("red flag") orders and safe storage of firearms.
• Address the loss or theft of firearms during shipping.
• Provide the public and policymakers with more information regarding federally licensed firearms dealers who are violating the law.
• Use the Department of Defenses acquisition of firearms to further firearm and public safety practices.
• Help catch shooters by accelerating federal law enforcement's reporting of ballistics data.
• Accelerate and intensify implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
• Improve federal support for gun violence survivors, victims and survivors' families, first responders to gun violence, and communities affected by gun violence.
• Advance congressional efforts to prevent the proliferation of firearms undetectable by metal detectors.
The White House said Biden has "again and again" called for Congress to take action to reduce gun violence, "including by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, requiring background checks for all gun sales, requiring safe storage of firearms, closing the dating violence restraining order loophole, and repealing gun manufacturers' immunity from liability."
"In the meantime, he is directing the Attorney General to do everything he can to ensure that firearms sellers who do not realize they are required to run background checks under existing law, or who are willfully violating existing law, become compliant with background check requirements," the White House said. "The President is also directing the Attorney General to develop and implement a plan to prevent former federally licensed firearms dealers, whose licenses have been revoked or surrendered, from continuing to engage in the business of dealing in firearms."
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