A large part of the platform of former Vice-President Joe Biden has been his gun control policy. Biden’s campaign website devotes a large space to his “gun safety” agenda for America. The site says that “Joe Biden knows that gun violence is a public health epidemic,” and goes on to state that over 40,000 people die because of firearms injuries every year in the United States.
Biden’s plan contains many provisions, however the most overarching provision would be registration of “assault weapons” and “high capacity magazines” under the National Firearms Act of 1934, also known as the NFA. The NFA requires the registration of machine guns, silencers, and short-barreled rifles with the federal government through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The registration of the individual item comes with a $200.00 tax payable to the federal government.
Biden’s gun control statement says “Regulate possession of existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act. Currently, the National Firearms Act requires individuals possessing machine-guns, silencers, and short-barreled rifles to undergo a background check and register those weapons with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives [ATF]. Due to these requirements, such weapons are rarely used in crimes. As president, Biden will pursue legislation to regulate possession of existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act.”