DeLauro Votes to Ban Assault Weapons

Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today voted in support of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, legislation that would make it illegal to sell semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15.

"Americans across the country are facing a rise in violence in their schools and communities," said Chair DeLauro. "From Newtown, to Parkland, to Buffalo and now Uvalde, wave after wave of mass shootings have shaken our nation to its core. Mass shootings are taking the lives of babies, parents, brothers and sisters. In my home state of Connecticut, the tragedy that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School has traumatized our community and we will never be the same. We lost 26 beautiful souls on that cold December day. I am committed to fighting to prevent these senseless tragedies from ever occurring again. Today, I voted in support of legislation that would get weapons of war like semi-automatic rifles off our streets – protecting our children, our schools, and our communities."

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 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.

"My colleagues in the GOP have a clear choice: they can work with us to end the scourge of gun violence and keep our streets safe, or they can continue to be owned by the gun lobby," DeLauro continued. "Our children have been waiting for us to act. I am proud to vote in support of this bill and urge my colleagues in the Senate to waste no time sending this life-saving legislation to President Biden's desk."