Boozman: Don't renew assault weapons ban

Press Release

Boozman: Don't renew assault weapons ban

Letter to President Obama and House Speaker Pelosi

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR), member of the Second Amendment Task Force (SATF), a bipartisan group created in the 111th Congress to monitor legislation regarding the Second Amendment in the U.S. House of Representatives co-signed onto a letter to President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about recent comments made about assault weapons. The following is text of the letter:

As members of the House Second Amendment Task Force (SATF), we oppose any attempt during the 111th Congress to reinstate a ban on the sale of the inaccurately described "assault weapons" in the United States. Any such initiative represents a clear threat to the Constitutional right of law-abiding American citizens to keep and bear arms.

On February 26th of this year, shortly after assuming his official duties, Attorney General Eric Holder commented on gun-control policies that President Barack Obama may pursue during his Administration, one of which is to reinstate the "assault weapons" ban. Attorney General Holder's announcement was quite alarming, and it reinforces a fear now held by many Americans that the new Administration is ideologically opposed to lawful gun ownership.

Though the words "assault weapons" conjure up images of rapid-fire military machine guns, in fact the weapons outlawed by the original ban function the same as any semiautomatic-and legal-hunting rifle.

Gun control advocates argues the ban would reduce violent crime. However, studies have revealed that deaths related to the use of assault weapons showed negligible difference during the ten-year period while the ban was in place.

Rather than renewing the ban on assault weapons, Congress should instead work to enforce existing laws and provide law enforcement officials with the resources they need to prevent the illegal use and transfer of firearms. As law abiding gun owners, sportsmen, American citizens, and Members of Congress, we firmly believe that one of many responsibilities with which the American people have entrusted Congress is to protect their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

Mr. President, we hope you will give thoughtful consideration to our concerns. As member of the House Second Amendment Task Force, we look forward to working with your Administration to uphold the freedoms and liberties guaranteed by the Second Amendment.

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