President Joe Biden is set to create the first-ever federal office of gun violence prevention.
The White House will work with federal agencies on implementing the gun restrictions bill passed by Congress last year, according to the Associated Press. The agencies will work to assist states that struggle with spikes in gun violence.
Biden will announce the new office at the White House during a Friday event, the AP reported.
Some gun safety advocates have voiced their support for Biden’s regulation efforts.
“The creation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the White House will mark a turning point in how our federal government responds to an epidemic that plagues every state and every community in America,” said Kris Brown, president of the gun safety group Brady.
“Tackling this epidemic will take a whole-of-government approach, and this new office would ensure the executive branch is focused and coordinated on proven solutions that will save lives,” she said.
Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act last year with 14 Republican votes. The bill, which aimed to counter mass shootings, creates incentives for states to pass “red flag” laws and increase background checks for young adults.
Republicans last year countered with proposals to curb gun violence by strengthening mental health programs and increasing legal repercussions for gun crimes.
A UChicago Harris/AP-NORC poll last year found that 92% of Democrats, 61% of independents, and 32% of Republicans surveyed expressed support for gun restrictions.
However, a study this year from the Rand Corporation found that of the many gun-restricting policies implemented in the U.S., only three were found to be effective in countering violence.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) questioned the anti-gun measures in California earlier this year after a series of mass shootings, commenting that it has the strictest gun policies in the nation, yet “apparently that did not work in this situation.”
The White House plans to hire gun restriction advocates to head the gun violence office, The Washington Post reported. This includes Greg Jackson of the Community Justice Action Fund and Rob Wilcox of Everytown for Gun Safety.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who previously drafted legislation to establish a gun violence office, claimed the plan will save thousands of lives.
“There are few people who care more about the work of gun violence prevention than President Biden,” Murphy said. “Establishing a White House office dedicated to this fight will save thousands of lives and strengthen the federal government’s implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.”
