U.S. House panel to consider assault weapons ban next week

Reuters ^ | 7/15/2022 | Susan Heavey Additional and Moira Warburton

[MacNaughton]

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee will take up proposed legislation next week that would ban certain assault weapons, the panel said on Friday, citing a string of recent mass shootings across the United States.

The committee will meet on Wednesday to mark up the bill, which "would ban the sale, import, manufacture or transfer of certain semi-automatic weapons," it said in a statement.

A spate of gun massacres since May at a New York grocery store, a Texas elementary school and an Illinois Independence Day parade have renewed fierce U.S. debate over gun regulations.

[MacNaughton]

The GCA of 1968 created what is known as the "sporting purposes" standard for imported firearms, saying that they must "be generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes". GCA sporting purposes includes hunting and organized competitive target shooting, but does not include "plinking" or "practical shooting" (which the ATF says is closer to police/combat-style competition and not comparable to more traditional types of sports), nor does it allow for collection for historical or design interest.

Under 18 U.S.C. section 925(d)(3), the Secretary shall approve applications for importation only when the firearms are generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes (the “sporting purposes test”).

In 1989, ATF denied applications to import a series of semiautomatic versions of automatic-fire military assault rifles. When ATF examined these semiautomatic assault rifles, it found that the rifles, while no longer machineguns, still had a military configuration that was designed for killing and disabling the enemy and that distinguished the rifles from traditional sporting rifles. This distinctively military configuration served as the basis for ATF’s finding that the rifles were not considered sporting rifles under the statute.

BATF's ruling stemmed from the 1/17/1989 Cleveland Elementary School mass shooting in Stockton, CA, where 6 (including the perp) were killed and 32 injured. This was the 1st public school mass shooting in modern times.

I've never read a good explanation of why the 1994-2004 AWB bill included a sunset provision. I guess it was included to get enough votes to pass it.

[lowbridge]

They got to work fast to get this passed before election day.

[proust]

Or figure out how to postpone election day.

[Tench_Coxe]

House Republicans for: Gonzales of Ohio and Upton for sure

Senate Republicans for: Romney, Murkowski, Collins, Portman

[marktwain]

They got to work fast to get this passed before election day.

It has not passed yet, and probably will not pass.

As per the recent Bruen decision at the Supreme Court, this law is blatantly unconstitutional.

[M Kehoe]

Hi.

In all legislation there are a definition of terms.

So democrats, define an “assault weapon.” Come up with something, and get back to me.

SCOTUS, listen up.

5.56mm

[Brian Griffin]

I believe legislators and accomplices that pass unconstitutional laws can be barred from public office under Section 3 of Amendment XIV.

A court obviously can enforce Section 3 as well as Section 1.

[butlerweave]

What is their Definition of assault weapons and when did/will they change it ?

[Brian Griffin]

Hitler created the term ‘assault rifle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StG_44

[Highest Authority]

Repeal the communist 1968 GCA ……. It’s time!

[Zathras]

Yep that is their goal.
Turtle and Crazy Cornyn started this.

[MacNaughton]

I’ve thought for some time they want to ban all semi-auto rifles.

[sten]

SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED

I’m feeling a bit infringed...

[Brian Griffin]

There are treaties governing world trade.

Guns are big business.

[skimbell]

[bk1000]

Pass all the unconstitutional laws you want. If you come to take my gun I will shoot you. Full stop.

[Joe Brower]

ping

[nonliberal]

Who cares?

I call all my rifles "assault rifles." Shove their rhetoric back in their face. They are not for sport or games. They make killing bad guys easier and they make enslaving a nation more difficult. All of my rifles are assault rifles and intended for anti-personnel duties.

[chopperk]

Assault weapons should have been given to the Mothers in Uvalde who lost children. The outcome of that fiasco would have been much different had parents had weapons. Take weapons away from the Uvalde police and give them to the public.

[MacNaughton]

There are treaties governing world trade. Guns are big business.

As of 2020, 109 nations have ratified the 2014 UN Arms Trade Treaty. U.S. SoS John Kerry signed it but the Senate did not ratify. In 2019 POTUS #45 DJT withdrew the U.S. from the ATT.