President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to announce new executive actions on gun control, including $153 million in funding to help states implement and strengthen red flag laws. The announcement, scheduled for Thursday, will focus on increasing federal support for gun safety measures aimed at reducing violence across the country. told by Politico.
According to a statement from the White House, the Department of Justice will allocate over $135 million in funding to 48 states through the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP). This funding will help states establish and enhance extreme risk protection order programs, commonly known as red flag laws, as well as support crisis intervention court proceedings and related initiatives.
Red flag laws allow law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, based on testimony from family members, neighbors, coworkers, and others. These laws are designed to prevent violent incidents before they occur by addressing individuals who may pose a threat.
However, while red flag laws have gained support from many policymakers, they have not been without controversy. Critics argue that such laws have failed to prevent mass shootings in states where they have already been implemented. For example, California, which enacted its red flag law in 2016, still led the nation in active shooter incidents in both 2021 and 2023. Similarly, Florida passed a red flag law after the tragic Parkland high school shooting in 2018, yet it did not prevent a shooter from killing five people in a Sebring, Florida bank just a year later.
Despite these criticisms, Vice President Harris has consistently supported red flag laws and other pre-crime confiscation measures as a means to prevent gun violence. She has argued that these laws provide law enforcement with critical tools to intervene before tragedies occur.
The new funding announced by the Biden-Harris administration is part of a broader effort to reduce gun violence and promote public safety. While the White House did not address the ongoing debate over the effectiveness of red flag laws in preventing mass shootings, the administration remains committed to expanding these measures in the hopes of saving lives. report from TapaTalk.
The announcement reflects President Biden’s continued push for stronger gun control, a priority of his administration since taking office. The new executive actions are likely to fuel ongoing debates about gun rights and public safety, particularly in light of the growing number of active shooter incidents in recent years.
As the country grapples with how best to address gun violence, the implementation and impact of red flag laws will continue to be a focal point in the national conversation. The Biden-Harris administration hopes that by providing states with more resources to adopt and enforce these laws, they can create a stronger, more effective line of defense against potential threats.
