U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday that the Justice Department is preparing to announce new regulations that will ban bump stocks.
While speaking to the National Association of Attorneys General, Sessions asserted that despite previous legal opinions the DOJ believes it can use its lawyers to ban the firearms accessory.
“We will have an announcement on that soon,” Sessions said when asked about his department’s progress. “We believe in that, and we have had to deal with previous ATF legal opinions, but our top people in the Department of Justice have believed for some time that we can through regulatory process not allow the bump stock to convert a weapon from a semiautomatic to a fully automatic.”
The ATF in 2010 stated it did into have the authority to regulate bump stocks under the Gun Control Act and the National Firearms Act. The bureau likewise told Congress in a 2012 letter that it “does not have the authority to restrict their lawful possession, use, or transfer.”
The focus on bump stocks comes after President Trump voiced support for such a ban following a school shooting in Florida that took the lives of 17 students. Although bump stocks were not used in the incident, the accessory has taken center stage due to their alleged use by a gunman who killed 58 people in Las Vegas last October.
Trump also voiced support for raising the legal age of gun purchasers from 18 to 21, though the president appears to have since backed off the idea.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) on Sunday stated it does not support several of Trump’s proposals.
“The NRA doesn’t back any ban,” spokeswoman Dana Loesch said.
Speaking to 35 governors at the White House Monday, Trump argued in support of the firearms organization.
“Don’t worry about the NRA. They’re on our side,” Trump said. “If they’re not with you, we have to fight them every once in awhile. That’s OK. They’re doing what they think is right.”
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