U.S. House narrowly passes assault weapons ban: Does the bill have a chance in the Senate?

The U.S. House voted 217-213 Friday to pass an assault weapons ban that would reinstate the ban on military-style rifles, high capacity magazines, and other assault weapons modeled on firearms designed for use on the battlefield.

The bill next heads to the Senate, where it has almost no chance of passing, because Republicans are owned by the NRA.

The weapons that would be banned in the doomed legislation are used in a high percentage of the deadliest mass shootings in America. A similar ban was last passed by the House and signed by President Clinton in 1994.

“For years the American people have watched in horror as mass shootings claim more and more innocent lives in schools, grocery stores, hospitals, churches, synagogues, malls, bars, and workplaces, without any response from policymakers. Today, after two decades without the ban in place, the House is taking strong action to do something about it by reinstating the Assault Weapons Ban,” said Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA-08), who has introduced the Assault Weapon Excise Act, which would impose a 1,000 percent excise tax on firearms and other weapons defined along lines very similar to those of the Assault Weapons Ban.

“It is too late to stop the mass shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo, Parkland, Las Vegas, Parkland, Orlando, and so many others, but today the House is working to prevent future massacres,” Beyer said. “The unfortunate but realistic outlook is that we expect Mitch McConnell to block this bill in the Senate with a filibuster. When he does that, I have offered a ready alternative in the Assault Weapons Excise Act, which I urge my colleagues to consider.”

As a revenue measure, Senate procedural experts believe Beyer’s Assault Weapons Excise Act could be passed through the Senate budget reconciliation process, allowing enactment with a simple 50-vote majority, so, interesting to note that.

“Assault weapons have become the weapon of choice for mass shooters,” . As a nation, we have seen the devastation these weapons of war can cause in instances like Uvalde, Buffalo, and more,” said Congressman Donald McEachin (D-VA-04). “We cannot sit idly by and allow these tragedies to continue. These weapons have no place in our communities. I am proud to vote in support of the Assault Weapons Ban to reduce the prevalence of these weapons, protect our communities, and save lives.”

From 1994 to 2004, when semiautomatic assault weapons were banned, researchers found that mass shooting fatalities were 70 percent less likely to occur. There are currently no federal laws that restrict the sale of semiautomatic assault weapons or large capacity ammunition feeding devices

“We are all too familiar with ‘breaking news’ headlines bringing horrific reports of the latest mass shooting,” said Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07). “These high-fatality tragedies are a symptom of easy access to assault-style weapons. Our country previously had a federal Assault Weapons Ban in place from 1994 until 2004. Those ten years were marked by a nearly 40 percent drop in gun massacres. Since Congress allowed this previous ban to expire, gun massacres have tripled nationwide.

“If we are serious about preventing senseless acts of gun violence in schools, grocery stores, places of worship, and communities across our country, we must reinstate the ban on the manufacturing, sale, and transfer of these weapons. Far, far too many families across our country have been torn apart by a person armed with a high-powered, military-style firearm — designed to kill with merciless efficiency. This evening, the House took a concrete and necessary step to prevent future carnage. And I cast my vote with Virginians who have lost a loved one to gun violence on my mind,” Spanberger said.

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) joined almost the entirety of the House Republican Caucus in voting against the ban.

“The assault weapons ban is an unconstitutional infringement on the rights of law-abiding gun owners. I will always stand up for the Second Amendment, so I voted no on this gun ban,” said Griffith, who has received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association in his 2022 re-election campaign, and a $1,000 contribution from the NRA, according to OpenSecrets.org.