Pingree Urges Reinstatement of Assault Weapons Ban, Action on Background Checks Bill

Press Release

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) has cosponsored legislation to reinstate the lapsed ban on the sale of assault weapons and H.R. 4240, a discharge petition that would bring legislation to prevent gun violence immediately to the floor. While 156 House members have cosponsored the assault weapons ban introduced by Representatives Cicilline (D-RI) and Ted Deutch (D-FL), Pingree urged more of her colleagues to act in the wake of the Parkland high school shooting which left 17 dead at the hands of an AR-15 assault weapon.

"Sandy Hook, Orlando, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, and now Parkland--the common denominator between all of these awful tragedies has been the use of assault weapons. Built to kill, these customizable weapons have allowed gunmen to slaughter dozens of innocent people swiftly, easily, and with no special training," said Pingree. "Since the ban on assault weapons lapsed in 2004, far too many of these weapons have ended up in the wrong hands. There is no one solution to reducing mass shootings and other forms of gun violence in our nation, but reinstating the ban on assault weapons would be a critical step. I urge all of my House colleagues to put the safety of our schools and communities before the interests of the NRA and pass this bill to keep weapons of war off our streets."

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2018 would prohibit the sale, transfer, production, and importation of:

Semi-automatic rifles and pistols with a military-style feature that can accept a detachable magazine;
Semi-automatic rifles with a fixed magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds;
Semi-automatic shotguns with a military-style feature;
Any ammunition-feeding device that can hold more than 10 rounds;
And 205 specifically-named and listed firearms.
Pingree also supports several other bills to address gun violence by strengthening background checks, blocking the sale of bump stocks, and lifting the federal funding ban on gun violence research. For the full list of bills Pingree's cosponsored to curb gun violence click here.

This week, Pingree signed a discharge petition that would immediately bring the following gun violence prevention bills to the House floor:

H.R. 4240, the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017; and
H.R. 3464, the Background Check Completion Act of 2017
House Republican Leadership has failed to bring legislation to the floor to address gun violence despite widespread public support for an assault weapons ban and background checks.

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