(TRENTON) – Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald (D-Camden, Burlington) released the following statement in support of today’s announcement by President Joe Biden that he will direct the U.S. Justice Department to reduce the number of “ghost guns,” which are self-assembled and do not contain a serial number, making them difficult to trace:
“After a year of isolation, we are all looking forward to getting back to ‘normal.’ But ‘normal’ cannot mean a return to the days when our country was shaken by mass shootings far too often, and too many people suffered from gun violence.
“Ghost guns are virtually untraceable. A person does not need to pass a background check to buy one, making them easily accessible to those who may pose a risk to themselves or their communities.
“In New Jersey, we’ve implemented common-sense measures to reach our goal of ending gun violence once and for all, including making it illegal to purchase and manufacture ghost guns. I was proud to sponsor laws that expanded background checks, limited magazine capacity, and banned armor-piercing bullets.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done. It’s very encouraging to see a concentrated effort at the federal level to address gun violence and prevent unimaginable tragedies. President Biden’s plan is sensible, comprehensive and urgently needed. I applaud him for taking swift, aggressive action to combat the gun crisis in our country. Leadership in Washington must recognize this issue for what it is: a matter of life and death.
“My heart continues to break for the families impacted by the recent shootings in Atlanta and Boulder, and for all those who’ve lost a loved one to gun violence. We must take every action to ensure no family ever has to experience this pain again.”