#BilltoBan

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Bill to Ban Assault Weapons Passes US House, But Is Likely To Fail In Senate

Following a string of tragic mass shootings, the US House of Representatives on Friday advanced a bill that would outlaw assault weapons for the first time in decades. The proposal passed the Democratic-majority House by a vote of 217 to 213 and now moves to the Senate, where it is almost certainly bound to fail. Despite the terrible epidemic of mass shootings, gun reform in the US remains incredibly controversial, with only two Republicans joining Democrats in supporting the assault weapons ban in the House. Democrats only hold 50 seats in the 100-member Senate, so 10 votes from Republicans are required to bring a bill to the floor for discussion. Congress enacted a ban on assault rifles and some high-capacity magazines in 1994 for a period of ten years, but politicians allowed it to expire in 2004, and sales of the weapons have since skyrocketed. The most recent legislation was hailed as "a significant step in our continued battle against the tragic pandemic of gun violence in our society" by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Certain semi-automatic weapons, like those used in recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and Highland Park, Illinois, would be prohibited from sale, import, manufacture, and transfer. In May, 10 African Americans were murdered in a Buffalo grocery by an openly racist individual. Read the full article