January, 18 2011, 12:09pm EDT
Brady Campaign Joins Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, National Gun Violence Prevention Group to Ban Large Capacity Magazines
WASHINGTON
Brady Campaign
President Paul Helmke joined U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy and other
leading national advocates for reducing gun violence today at 2 p.m. in
the U.S. Capitol to discuss the introduction of - and a plan to advance -
her legislation to ban large capacity ammunition magazines such as the
one used in the tragic January 8 shooting in Tucson, AZ.
The bill
is scheduled to be formally introduced in the House of Representatives
later in the evening. Senator Frank Lautenberg will introduce it later
this month in the Senate.
The bill brings the nation to the same
10-round-maximum standard used in at least four states today, as well as
nationwide for a decade when the now-expired federal assault weapons ban was in effect.
Brady President Paul Helmke said:
"Allowing access to high-capacity magazines is beyond the pale.
Banning them is a matter of public safety. There is no Second Amendment
or God-given right to be able to maim and kill your fellow Americans
with military-style arms. When the high-capacity magazine restriction
was in place until 2004, it was effective. If our nation can agree that
machine guns, cop-killer bullets, and plastic guns ought to be
restricted, surely we can agree that large-capacity magazines have no
place in our society."
Rep. McCarthy agreed: "I know
what it's like to have tragedy brought to your life in a split second by
a madman with high-capacity ammunition magazines," said Rep. McCarthy,
whose husband was killed and son seriously wounded by a gunman on the
Long Island Railroad in 1993. "I'm working to stop it from happening
again. We need comprehensive reform to reduce the number of people hurt
or killed by gunfire in America, but one simple way we can do that is
by keeping the worst tools of mass murder away from the general public.
This nation has come together before to support this simple,
commonsense measure, and it is the law in several states right now. It
is a small sacrifice that law-abiding gun owners can make once again in
order to increase everyone's safety."
Other grassroots and
gun violence prevention groups and representatives attending the news
conference today included Kristen Rand, Legislative Director of the
Violence Policy Center; Hildy Saizow, President of Arizonans for Gun
Safety, and a member of States United to Prevent Gun Violence; Jackie
Hilly, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence; James
Winkler, Chair of the newly-formed Faiths United to Prevent Gun
Violence; Laura Waxman, representing the U. S. Conference of Mayors.
At
least 22 House members already have signed on as co-sponsors of the
bill and many more are expected to be added over the next few days.
Brady United formerly known as The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and its legislative and grassroots affiliate, the Brady Campaign and its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, is the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence. We are devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.
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