The White House reiterated the dangers of “ghost guns” and its legal authority to regulate them ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on the issue.
“We know ghost guns are the weapon of choice for many gun traffickers,” Biden administration spokeswoman Emilie Simons told reporters aboard Air Force One. “They are very difficult for law enforcement to trace and are available without a background check. In 2021, there were approximately 20,000 suspected ghost guns reported to the ATF. That’s a 1,000% increase compared to 2017.”
The statement came in response to a question from the Washington Examiner’s Christian Datoc.
“Does the president [Joe Biden] have a Plan B to stop the proliferation of ghost guns and other related technology should the Supreme Court rule against them?” Datoc asked.
“Our administration remains committed to stopping the illegal manufacture and sale of kits and parts that can easily be made into functional ghost guns,” Simons said. “We stand by the Justice Department’s rulemaking to do this.”
The high court appears ready to uphold a federal regulation on ghost guns following oral arguments in a case challenging the regulation on Tuesday.
The case, VanDerStok v. Garland, centers on the legality of a 2022 rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that treats “readily convertible” ghost gun kits like regular firearms, subjecting them to serial number requirements and background checks.
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During Tuesday’s oral arguments, a majority of justices seemed inclined to support the ATF’s position.
The eventual ruling could have significant implications for future firearm regulations and the limits of federal agency authority. A decision is expected by the end of the term in June.
