Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on the assault
weapons ban. I appreciate your thoughts on this important issue.
The 1994 Crime Bill is set to expire in September of 2004. This bill
banned certain semiautomatic weapons and large capacity ammunition
feeding devices. Several legislators, including Senator Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA), Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Representative Carolyn
McCarthy (D-NY) have introduced proposals to make the assault
weapons ban permanent. Some of these proposals will expand the list of
banned assault weapons, while others will simply reauthorize the current
legislation.
I voted for the 1994 Crime Bill, which included the current assault
weapons ban, because I believe that it is a reasonable measure to address
violent crime in our streets and communities. In 1993, assault weapons
accounted for 8.2 percent of all guns used in crime. In the first year after
the legislation was enacted, criminal use of assault weapons dropped 20
percent, roughly twice the overall reduction of gun crime. By November
of 1996, the last year that data is available, only 3.2 percent of gun crime
was committed with assault weapons.
Like you, I am concerned about the level of violence in this country, and
its effects on our children, families, and communities. I believe that our
national crime-fighting strategy should include reasonable measures to
control firearms, measures that strike a balance between reducing gun
violence and maintaining individual rights. Throughout my career in the
Senate, I have supported gun-control legislation that reduces crime on
our streets, while protecting the rights of legitimate, law-abiding gun
owners. Rest assured, I will keep your concerns in mind as the Senate
considers this legislation.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me regarding this difficult
and complicated issue. If you have further questions or concerns, please
feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Patty Murray
United States Senator
weapons ban. I appreciate your thoughts on this important issue.
The 1994 Crime Bill is set to expire in September of 2004. This bill
banned certain semiautomatic weapons and large capacity ammunition
feeding devices. Several legislators, including Senator Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA), Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Representative Carolyn
McCarthy (D-NY) have introduced proposals to make the assault
weapons ban permanent. Some of these proposals will expand the list of
banned assault weapons, while others will simply reauthorize the current
legislation.
I voted for the 1994 Crime Bill, which included the current assault
weapons ban, because I believe that it is a reasonable measure to address
violent crime in our streets and communities. In 1993, assault weapons
accounted for 8.2 percent of all guns used in crime. In the first year after
the legislation was enacted, criminal use of assault weapons dropped 20
percent, roughly twice the overall reduction of gun crime. By November
of 1996, the last year that data is available, only 3.2 percent of gun crime
was committed with assault weapons.
Like you, I am concerned about the level of violence in this country, and
its effects on our children, families, and communities. I believe that our
national crime-fighting strategy should include reasonable measures to
control firearms, measures that strike a balance between reducing gun
violence and maintaining individual rights. Throughout my career in the
Senate, I have supported gun-control legislation that reduces crime on
our streets, while protecting the rights of legitimate, law-abiding gun
owners. Rest assured, I will keep your concerns in mind as the Senate
considers this legislation.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me regarding this difficult
and complicated issue. If you have further questions or concerns, please
feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Patty Murray
United States Senator
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