Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA06) joined President Biden and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Rose Garden as the Biden Administration announced new steps to prevent gun violence and provide critical leadership for our nation’s top federal law enforcement responsible for enforcing gun laws. These announcements include a Department of Justice (DOJ) final rule to prevent the proliferation of ghost guns – unserialized, privately-made firearms – and the nomination of Steve Dettelbach to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

“Far too many families across the country continue to feel the pain and heartbreak that comes with losing a loved one. Right now, ghost guns are the weapon of choice for many violent criminals,” said McBath. “I want to thank President Biden for his actions today; he continues to understand the urgency with which we must address this epidemic. Each time I stand in support of common-sense solutions to keep our families safe, I carry with me the memories of thousands of men, women, and children – children like my son Jordan – who are no longer with us because of senseless and preventable gun violence. I am grateful for President Biden’s announcement today and his Administration’s continued efforts to stop gun violence and save American lives.”

Today’s final rule from the DOJ bans the production and sale of unserialized “buy build shoot” kits. Prior to today’s announcement, these “buy build shoot” kits could be purchased online or at a store without a background check and assembled into a working firearm in as quickly as half an hour. This new rule clarifies that these kits qualify as “firearms” under the Gun Control Act, and therefore commercial manufacturers and sellers must be licensed and require background checks prior to a sale – just like sales of other commercially-made firearms. 

Last year in Georgia, tragedy struck a Douglas County family when a teenager accidentally shot and killed his sister during an altercation in which he was allegedly trafficking ghost guns. Despite increasing gun crimes in the state and across the country, during this year’s Georgia legislative session, Republican members of the General Assembly passed legislation which would eliminate permitting requirements to carry weapons in public. Tomorrow, Governor Brian Kemp plans to sign the legislation into law.   

In Congress, McBath is Vice-Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. She is a lead cosponsor of H.R. 2377, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which she introduced immediately following last year’s Rose Garden event with President Biden urging federal action to address red flag laws. Most recently, her bill to study America’s school shootings, the School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act, was approved by the House Education and Labor Committee.