Van Hollen Lauds Biden Administration Executive Action to Crack Down on Ghost Guns and Reduce Gun Violence

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) applauded executive actions that President Biden announced this afternoon to address the epidemic of gun violence our nation is facing, including safeguards on the production and sale of unserialized firearm components – also known as “ghost guns” – that hepushed the administration to finalize earlier this year. 

“In Maryland, we’ve seen the toll these untraceable weapons have taken on our communities – and that’s why our General Assembly stood up to the NRA and took action to ban ghost guns from our state. But Maryland is not an island, and many guns being used in crimes are coming from out of state. That’s why I was proud to see President Biden take meaningful action today to close ghost gun loopholes, modernize background check rules, and nominate a highly qualified and respected leader to head the ATF. These are important steps, but our work to reduce senseless gun violence is far from over. Even if Republicans don’t have the courage to support these common-sense reforms, I’ll keep fighting for meaningful action to reduce gun violence.”

A longtime advocate for gun violence prevention, Senator Van Hollen has fought to enact common-sense reforms since his time in the Maryland General Assembly. In January, Senators Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) urged President Biden to take swift action to close ghost gun loopholes nationwide. Senator Van Hollen also supported the Maryland General Assembly’s efforts to ban the sale and possession of ghost guns in the state, which became law last week, submitting written testimony in support of the measure earlier in the legislative session.

Additionally, the Senator has pushed for funding for community violence prevention programs on the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the ATF Improvement and Modernization (AIM) Act to improve and modernize the ATF in order to strengthen gun safety in our communities, and the Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act to incentivize state and local governments to enact laws requiring individuals to obtain a license before purchasing a handgun. 

More information on today’s executive actions by President Biden is here.