WASHINGTON DC – Congressional Democrats introduced a new and broader assault-weapons ban Thursday, in a vivid press conference that included a display of various weapons they want to outlaw.
It was a measure that was quickly condemned by the National Rifle Association as an assault on the Constitution, “instead of prosecuting criminals or fixing our broken mental health system.”
“The American people know gun bans do not work and we are confident Congress will reject Senator Feinstein’s wrong-headed approach,” spokeswoman Andrew Arulanandam said.
The measure was written by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who was behind the original 1994 assault-weapons ban which expired in 2004. It marks the first major legislative step since President Obama, in the wake of the Newtown school shooting, called for new gun control measures including a new and stronger assault-weapons ban.
“Our weak gun laws allow these mass killings to be carried out again, and again, and again in our country,” Feinstein said. “Weapons, designed originally for the military to kill large numbers of people in close combat, are replicated for civilian use.”
She said the bill she and her colleagues are introducing would bar the “sale, transfer, manufacture and importation” of assault weapons. It would also ban magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
As part of the press conference, lawmakers displayed an array of weapons, including a Colt AR-15, a semi-automatic assault rifle, and an Intratec TEC-9, a semi-automatic handgun.
The move comes after NBC News host David Gregory faced an investigation for displaying a banned magazine on a Sunday show in the District — but the Senate sergeant-at-arms office said the weapons were displayed Thursday in “compliance” with all applicable laws.
The office said they are “authentic” and in the custody of the Philadelphia and D.C. police departments, which brought them.
The weapons ban, though, faces long odds even after last month’s mass school shooting in the state of Connecticut.
In a statement, Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the proposal would have done “nothing” to prevent the Newtown tragedy and vowed to fight to defeat the bill.
“Washington politicians shouldn’t be taking advantage of recent tragedy to try to push an aggressive gun control agenda. Real assault weapons — machine guns — are already functionally illegal, and they have been since 1934,” he said.
The last ban expired in 2004 when Congress refused to renew it under pressure from the National Rifle Association, a gun advocacy group. There’s continuing disagreement about the effectiveness of the original assault-weapons ban, and measures like beefed-up background checks on gun sales may be more likely to pass.
Definitions of what qualifies as an assault weapon have varied over time and across states.
According to a summary from Feinstein’s office, her bill would place bans on 120 “specifically named firearms,” as well as certain other semiautomatic guns — and those with a fixed magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds.
While the 1994 law defined an assault weapon as one that had, in most cases, a detachable magazine and at least two characteristics as set by Congress, the new bill would define an assault weapon as one that meets just one of those characteristics.
Some of those characteristics for rifles in the old law included a pistol grip, a folding stock and a bayonet mount. But the Feinstein bill would strip what her office describes as “easy-to-remove” characteristics like the bayonet mount from that list.
Feinstein’s office says the bill would grandfather in weapons legally owned before enactment and exempt more than 900 “specifically named weapons” for hunting or sporting purposes. (read more)
She needs a black hood to go with her outfit.
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They always drag out some senile old ass for their really stupid plans.
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lmaooooo.
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True Their last bid for 15 minutes of fame
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Dianne Feinstein in 1994, as she was pushing Clinton’s assault weapons ban:
“And, I know the sense of helplessness that people feel. I know the urge to arm yourself because that is what I did. I was trained in firearms. I’d walk to the hospital when my husband was sick., I carried a concealed weapon. I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out, I was going to take them with me.”
According to her police protection, Feinstein carried a .357. EVERYWHERE.
If hypocracy was against the law, there would not be one Democrat who wasn’t in the prison’s general population.
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Pretty sure she said she had carried not she was carrying at the time
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Well, here is the bottom line…the Declaration of Independence makes it clear that we believe that our rights come from God, and those rights are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Our Constitution then formulates our system of government to preserve, protect and defend those rights. When individuals threaten our rights, not by debate or opinion, but by actively proposing and pursuing legislation to diminish, repress and prevent the free exercise of our God-given rights, then they have crossed the line. That means that I consider her to be a traitor, and everyone else should too. She should be immediately arrested, jailed and put on trail.
If she did this during the 1700’s, 1800’s and even the 1900’s, she would have been stopped by sensible patriot people. I hope someone that has the power to do so takes action.
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And sorry for misspelling trial, but I’m P.O. that people can take an oath and then actively work against the people.
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Columbine April, 20 1999.
“original 1994 assault-weapons ban which expired in 2004”
Worked well didn’t it?
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There’s always going to be a random nut that steals firearms, ace. No law on the planet will stop that from happening.
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that’s what I was saying …ace
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Then we are in agreement!
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10 years since “assault” ban had expired…has there been any progress in linking pharmaceuticals or video games (as my son said, in the games shooters rarely die) or any real attempt(auto special circumstance additional charge)to get guns away from criminals or deter them via legal/monetary penalties ?
No
But again congress tries the easy way out by going after legal & law abiding gun owners.
What part of the word infringe does some in congress not understand? The Korean shop owners during the Rodney King verdict are perfect examples of why people should have access to firearms.
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Interview of a Korean shop owner:
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/27/151526930/korean-store-owner-on-arming-himself-for-riots
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A report on the news said that LA does not have ENOUGH police officers (because of cut-backs on funding). So what happens, when we can’t afford the “police”, or for that matter, they “go on strike”?? Who do you call?? Ghost Busters, or Feinstein? Or do you get you semi-auto rifle – to protect you home – because no one else will. This is like the Jews in Germany, when Hitler came to power. Who did they call – Feinstein? Or the local SS-Police?? This is why she is idiotic.
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Frankly what I don’t understand the most is why so many descendants of the Jews that died under Hitler & persecuted still today in some form or another are leading the fight for gun control or others of the jewish faith are not advocating from the mountain tops the right of the 2nd Amendment.
Seriously, I.don’t.get.it.
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That makes two of us. I greatly respect the Jewish people, and do not understand their political views and votes. At. All.
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“..She said the bill she and her colleagues are introducing would bar the “sale, transfer, manufacture and importation” of assault weapons. It would also ban magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.”
Except to every musloid and enemy-of-the-US organization they can find to sell/provide them to.
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I guarantee that if conservatives used DC-banned firearms in a first-amendment display, they would be summarily arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced to the fullest extent allowed by law.
I’m sick of seeing these hypocritical, progressive jackwagons flaunting laws that they themselves put into place – especially when they are doing so in order to justify more laws that violate our Constitutional rights.
Diane Feinstein can go pound sand.
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I forgot about this story. Glad someone remembered.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/01/23/flashback-ted-kennedys-bodyguard-arrested-in-1986-for-carrying-unlicensed-machine-guns/
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The last information I had on the aftermath of the shooting is that only handguns were found at the crime scene and that the AR 15 rifle was found in his car. If this is true why have they been able to get so much milage out of a semiautomatic rifle band when one wasn’t use? No autopsy reports nothing.
They are making hay with a false account of the shooting and we as usual are back on our heals. I hope as this bill is defeated in congress that someone will review the facts of this mass shooting and not let them get away with talking about assalt weapons if one wasn’t used.
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Not true.
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Not only not true but the AR15 jammed and actually saved lives. If he had a real gun it would have done a lot more damage.
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If any of these people really believe the weapons they would like to ban are the true danger, why would anything be grandfathered in. If its the weapon that poses the threat, and not the user, then its dangerous no matter who has it. Just another reason I can’t understand why people can’t see the holes in their logic. I would also like to say something in regards to the statement about the military designing these weapons for killing large numbers of people. That’s not really true. The military uses machine guns, grenade launchers, AT4’s, and air strikes to kill large numbers of people. They use semi automatic rifles to kill the guy directly attacking them, which is also what citizens need them for.
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How come the media never mentions that Feinstein has a CCW and a .357?
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Where does the US Supreme Court weigh in? 🙂
http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/where-does-the-supreme-court-stand-on-gu-00812/
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I agree with Coast 100%. Any legislation aimed towards deminishing our right to keep and bear arms is an act of treason. Anyone in a position of government that does, should be immediately removed from office and deported or arrested
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Feinstein and the Great Outdoors – her idea of roughing it is to leave the window open in the Starbucks bathroom. Wonder why Feinstein isn’t out trying to nationally ban things like the open barbecue burners they’re after in California and fishing her PETA buds want banned as it causes discomfort to the principal in my trout almandine
Feinstein – Yiddish for ‘situational ethics’. Were she that interested in preventing deaths through unnecessary public health risks than why isn’t she out campaigning to have the gay bathhouses in San Francisco closed? The public health folk found them to be centers for HIV infection and where the courts wouldn’t close them they put enough pressure on them so that most shut down. In the last few years they’ve come back and HIV rates, especially among younger teens, have rebounded. Then there’s her support of abortion,. Speaking of preventable child deaths. Even though Jews do not normally consider the fetus viable until some 40 days after conception she’s a supporter of late term abortion, which, my Rebbi friend tells me, is prohibited in Jewish law. Tsvuak.?
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As someone said on another site:
When in fresh hell did handguns become assault rifles?
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If you look at the “handguns” they seem to be only classified as such because of the barrel length. I didn’t see any actual pistols on the list, just sub-compact types that are classified as hand guns. Not that it makes it any better, but so far they aren’t trying to stop real pistols.
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We need more 80 year old snags in senate way to go California lets target legal gun owners not enforce laws already in place to stop criminals.
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I was wondering where in the hell she got that assortment of ‘assault rifles’ to show on such short notice but then I remembered Holden’s international sporting goods shop had to close so she just might have borrowed his overstock. “Holder’s Gun Shop, para continuar en español, pulse uno,”
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My disdain for Feinstein is immense. As idiotic as she is I do have to point out one of her ardent supporters is Hank Johnson. Just fun to review and birds of a feather…
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Guns do t kill people. People kill people. This is just another way to control us.
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