The House of Representatives approved this Friday a bill to ban assault weapons, setting a precedent as it is the first time that legislators approve a ban on firearms in more than two decades.
The legislation, which was dubbed the ‘Assault Weapons Ban of 2022’, passed in a bipartisan vote of 213-213.
Representing the Republican Party, representatives Chris Jacobs, from New York, and Brian Fitzpatrick, from Pennsylvania, supported the measure, while Democrats Jared Golden of Maine, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Rod Kind of Wisconsin and Kurt Schrader of Oregon voted “no.”
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, announced this Friday morning that the House would pass the legislation during the day, scheduling the vote days after the official indicated that the House would stop considering the legislation slation for next month.
Democrats planned to move assault weapons ban with security legislation under rule; however, they decided to consider them separately after some liberals raised concerns about a lack of accountability in policing, The Hill reported.
The assault weapons ban legislation, which is sponsored by Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island and co-sponsored by 207 voting Democrats, specifically calls for a ban on the manufacture, sale, import, or transfer of various firearms semi-automatic assault rifles, semi-automatic pistols and shotguns.
All semi-automatic rifles that can accept detachable magazines and have a pistol grip , a foregrip, a barrel shroud, a grenade launcher, a threaded barrel, telescoping, folding or detachable stock are subject to the ban.
Furthermore, semi-automatic assault rifles with fixed magazines that can accept more than 15 rounds are subject to prohibition and would be prohibited by law, except for those with an attached tubular device, which can only contain .15 caliber rimfire ammunition.
However, despite bipartisan support in the House, the legislation has little chance of advancing in the Senate in the face of broad Republican opposition. But despite this obstacle, House Democrats pressed for the opportunity to vote on the measure as a message to continue the fight for gun control, which has been the focus of debate in recent months before the deadly shootings that have shaken the country.