Congressional Progressive Caucus Leadership Celebrates House Passage of Assault Weapons Ban

Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and David Cicilline (RI-01), vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statements after the House of Representatives passed the CPC-endorsed Assault Weapons Ban. This marked the first time since 1994 that a federal ban on assault weapons has passed the House.

"Assault weapons are weapons of war. Their only purpose is to destroy. We have seen more than enough mass shootings -- from Uvalde and Buffalo, to Tulsa, Las Vegas, and Sandy Hook -- to know that they do not belong on our streets," said Rep. Jayapal. "Today's passage of Congressman Cicilline's Assault Weapons Ban shows the continued commitment from House Democrats to saving lives from needless gun violence and protecting people's right to exist safely and peacefully in our country. I thank Congressman Cicilline for his tremendous leadership on this bill and in the fight against gun violence. Now, the Senate must heed President Biden's call to get this vital legislation to his desk, and take up this bill without delay."

"There are more guns than people in this country -- more mass shootings than days in the year. This is a uniquely American problem. In 2022 alone, more than 160 people have been killed by an assault weapon and more than 245 have been injured. This bill will not stop all gun violence, but it will effectively decrease it," said Rep. Cicilline. "Researchers estimate that if we still had a federal assault weapons ban, we would see 70 percent fewer mass shooting deaths. And while nothing we can do can bring back 70 percent of these victims to their family and friends, we can honor their memories with action and prevent more carnage moving forward. I urge the Senate to pass this bill immediately and send it to the President for his signature."

The last federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004. Since then, an assault weapon was used in eight out of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in America.

The Assault Weapons Ban passed today would prohibit the sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of semi-automatic assault weapons and high capacity magazines.