Bass Votes for Assault Weapons Ban

Press Release

Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) voted to pass H.R. 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, which would ban the sale, import, manufacture or transfer of certain semi-automatic weapons and large capacity feeding devices of more than 10 rounds. The bill passed by a vote of 217-213.
"I voted to keep the most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the most dangerous people. When an assault-style weapon is used in a mass shooting, six times as many people are shot," said Rep. Bass. "Victims are not expected to survive because the trauma inflicted on the body is too massive. That's what makes them the weapon of choice for mass shooters. The American people have demanded action to reduce violent crime and we must act."

In 1994, Congress passed and then President Clinton signed into law a ten-year ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. During that time, the ban enjoyed bi-partisan support showing that Congress can work together to do something about gun violence in America. Former Presidents Reagan, Ford, and Carter all wrote Congress in support of the 1994 ban. For those ten years, mass shootings declined. In 2004, Presidents Ford, Carter, and Clinton supported maintaining the ban. President George W. Bush also said he supported the ban and would have signed it if it passed through the Congress.

"We cannot sit back as America's representatives and watch innocent people continue to be gunned down in schools, religious institutions, workplaces, residences, government buildings, and public places. Some of my colleagues have called for the hardening of our schools. You can't harden every conceivable target out there. But you can do something about weaponry designed specifically to kill numbers of people. It's far overdue for Congress to pass commonsense gun reform and remove these weapons from our streets."

The Assault Weapons Ban:

Would make it unlawful for a person to import, sell, manufacture, or transfer the following:
All semi-automatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one of the following military features: (1) pistol grip; (2) forward grip; (3) folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; (4) grenade launcher; (5) barrel shroud; or (6) threaded barrel.
All semi-automatic rifles that have a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.
Bump fire stocks and any part, combination of parts, component, device, attachment, or accessory that is designed or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machinegun.
All semiautomatic pistols that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one of the following military features: (1) threaded barrel; (2) second pistol grip; (3) barrel shroud; (4) capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip; or (5) semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm.
All semi-automatic shotguns that have at least one of the following (1) a folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; (2) pistol grip; (3) fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 5 rounds; (4) ability to accept a detachable magazine; (5) forward grip; (6) grenade launcher; or (7) shotgun with a revolving cylinder.
High capacity feeding devices (magazines, strips, and drums) capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.
Would allow for the sale, transfer, or possession of assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices lawfully possessed on the date of enactment of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021
Specifies that its restrictions do not apply to antique firearms, manually operated firearms, and more than 2,000 specified models of hunting and sporting firearms.
Numerous studies have shown this legislation was critically important in helping to reduce the number of gun related deaths during its 10- year span from 1994-2004. Compared with the decade before its adoption, the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban was associated with a 25 percent drop in gun massacres and a 40 percent drop in fatalities. As the ban expired in 2004, mass shootings tripled and fatalities began to increase once again. Additionally, if you listen to police officers and other professionals charged with protecting the public, they will tell you the ban is a strong tool in helping them to do their jobs.

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