Duckworth Statement on President Biden’s Latest Actions to Address Gun Control

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement in response to President Biden’s newly-announced plans to prevent and reduce gun violence, including cracking down on marketing weapons to children:

“With these executive actions, President Biden is proving once again that we can do better, and I’m glad that he is moving the ball forward on universal background checks, improving enforcement of current law to reduce gun violence and taking action aimed at preventing parasitic companies from using advertising to trick young children into buying lethal weapons, something I’ve called for repeatedly. While these are all good moves, they also underscore how many common-sense reforms Republicans in Congress continue to block, even in the face of mass shooting after mass shooting. It’s time for Republicans to come back to the table and help us end this national crisis and keep out children safe from needless, senseless gun violence.”

Earlier this year, Duckworth joined several of her colleagues to call on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the continued marketing to children of the “JR-15” rifle by Illinois-based company Wee 1 Tactical. While children under age 18 cannot buy firearms themselves under federal law, the JR-15 is marketed to appeal to children to help familiarize them with this type of tactical weapon. When the gun was initially released by Wee 1 Tactical, its marketing materials featured cartoons of skulls with pacifiers and said that the rifle “looks, feels, and operates just like Mom and Dad’s gun.”

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