Newtown Action Alliance Applauds Historic Passage of Assault Weapons Ban

For Immediate Release

July 30, 2022

Press Contact:

John Kelley

917-679-6475

jkelley@newtownaction.org

Newtown Action Alliance Applauds Historic Passage of Assault Weapons Ban 

Newtown, CT- Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance,released the following statement following the historic House passage of HR1808, Representative David Cicilline’s legislation to ban assault weapons. 

Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance:

“Last night, 215 House Democrats and two House Republicans voted to pass HR1808, Representative David Cicilline’s bill to ban assault weapons. These 217 members of Congress understood that voting for the ban was a moral imperative and a high political ground. 

“Americans from all corners of our nation live in fear of being shot after Highland Park, Tulsa, Uvalde, Buffalo, Indianapolis, Boulder, Midland-Odessa, Dayton, El Paso, Gilroy, Virginia Beach, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Parkland, Sutherland Springs, Orlando, San Bernardino, Sandy Hook, and Aurora mass shooting incidents during the last decade. 

“If Congress had passed the ban after the Sandy Hook tragedy, many of these tragedies would have been prevented. A 2018 study found that mass shooting fatalities were 70 percent less likely to occur from 1994 to 2004, when the federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was in effect, than during the 12 years studied before and after the ban. 

“President Joe Biden is ready and willing to sign the bill into law. We call on the U.S. Senate to immediately pass the ban before other families and communities are devastated by yet another mass shooting incident by gunmen with weapons of war. The assault weapons ban legislation is supported by a majority of Americans and the House Democratic majority. Only 50 Senate Republicans and 12 Senate Democrats are blocking the federal assault weapons ban bill from becoming the law of the nation. It’s time for these 62 Senators to stop arming mass shooters with weapons of war and put an end to the mass shooting crisis in our nation. 

“Semiautomatic military-style assault weapons have been weapons of choice for mass shooters since the 1994 ban was allowed to expire in 2004. During the last decade, gun manufacturers have made more than $1 billion in assault-style weapons sales while Americans have been terrorized, hunted, killed, and wounded by gunmen with weapons of war. 

“Newtown Action Alliance has worked with courageous survivors from too many mass shooting tragedies and hundreds of partners of the Campaign Against Assault Weapons to unapologetically push for the assault weapons ban since 26 children and educators were murdered in 2012 in Sandy Hook Elementary School by a 20-year-old gunman with an AR15 and high capacity magazines. 

“Since the Sandy Hook shooting, there have been over 4,000 mass shooting incidents and over 350,000 Americans have been killed by guns. Hundreds of thousands more have been wounded. 

“The House Democratic majority and a few courageous House Republicans have sent a strong message to Americans that they are willing to do everything in their power to protect our children and loved ones from mass shootings. It’s time for the Senate to do the same.”

The list of hundreds of partners working on the Campaign Against Assault Weapons can be found HERE. 

### 

Newtown Action Alliance (www.newtownaction.org) is a Newtown-based, national grassroots organization formed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Our mission is to achieve the steady and continuous reduction of gun violence through legislative and cultural changes.