Letter to Hon. Jerrold Nadler, Chairman of House Judiciary Committee - Neguse Calls for Judiciary Committee Markup of Federal Assault Weapons Ban

Letter

Dear Chairman Nadler:

We write today to respectfully request that in the coming weeks the House Judiciary Committee hold a markup on H.R. 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021.

The communities we represent have all experienced devastating tragedy and loss from assailants using AR-style weapons. The pain that these shootings have caused is simply unimaginable, and yet, the proliferation of AR-style weapons continues unabated. These tragedies have now touched every corner of this country from Boulder, Colorado, to El Paso, Texas, to Parkland, Florida and so many other communities. These shooters have inflicted mass suffering on our constituents using AR-style weapons.

It has been 17 years since the original assault weapons ban expired, and during that time, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people targeted in mass-shootings and the subsequent fatalities. Communities like Aurora, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. have all experienced mass casualty events at the hands of shooters using assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Emergency room physicians have described the horror of treating these victims. The Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 would address the tools used in these mass casualty events head on by banning the sale, manufacture, transfer and importation of 205 military-style assault weapons by name and banning the sale of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

We are grateful for your support of H.R. 1808 and for your leadership in helping to secure passage of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R. 1446, Enhanced Background Checks Act through the House of Representatives. We know that, once signed into law, those measures will help keep our communities safer. However, we also know there is not one single solution to ending gun violence in America. Congress must use every legislative tool available and enact a comprehensive gun safety agenda so that other communities do not have to endure the pain and agony our communities continue to cope with in the aftermath of gun violence.

We look forward to working with you to help protect Americans from the onslaught of gun violence. Thank you so much for your consideration.

Sincerely,