Murphy, Blumenthal, 39 Colleagues Reintroduce Assault Weapons Ban

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)andRichard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)on Wednesday joined 39 of their Senate colleagues in reintroducing theAssault Weapons Ban of 2025, legislation to revive a nationwide ban on assault weapons two decades after the original ban expired. The bill would ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and import of military-style assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and other high-capacity ammunition feeding devices.
While the 1994 ban was in place, the United States saw gun massacresdecline by 37%and mass shooting fatalitieswere 70% less likely. When the ban expired, deaths in a gun massacrerose 239%.A ban on assault-style weapons is not only common-sense legislation, it’swidely supported by Americans,and Congress has failed to keep up with the American people on this issue.
“Assault weapons are designed for one thing: to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. These are weapons of war that have no place in our communities, and it’s long past time we treated them that way. A majority of Americans support an assault weapons ban, and it’s time for Republicans to get on board and pass this bill before more lives are lost,”said Murphy.
“Assault weapons have only one practical purpose – to slaughter human beings. These military-style combat weapons are designed to maximize death and destruction. No self-respecting hunter uses one. Assault weapons have brought bloodshed and carnage to our streets and our schools. Guns don’t respect state boundaries, which is why we need a national solution to restricting the ownership and use of the mass shooter’s weapon of choice,”saidBlumenthal.
Murphy and Blumenthal joined gun safety advocates and organizations from across the nation earlier in the day for apress conferenceintroducing the legislation.
U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai'i), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also co-sponsored the bill.
Brady: United Against Gun Violence, GIFFORDS, Newtown Action Alliance, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Sandy Hook Promise, and the National Parent Teacher Association endorsed the legislation.
Full text of the bill is availableHERE.
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