The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee recently voted 25-18 to advance the “Assault Weapons Ban Act of 2021.”
The bill, H.R. 1808, includes a “sweeping ban on semi-automatic long guns (what it calls “assault weapons”), targeting what are, in fact, the most-popular rifles in America today. The legislation would also ban standard-capacity magazines larger than 15 rounds,” reported the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (ILA).
This echoes the famous, “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15” claim that failed presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke made years ago. While Beto was played off as being a lone voice, that’s no longer the case. Just ask Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the House Judiciary Chairman.
When asked by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) if the proposed legislation would ban weapons that are in “common use” today, Nadler replied, “That’s the point of the bill,” blatantly spitting in the face of the Supreme Court’s Heller (2008) ruling. But he didn’t stop there.
“To clarify, Mr. Chairman, you’re saying it is the point of the bill to ban weapons that are in common use in the United States today,” asked Bishop.
“Yes, the problem is that they’re in common use,” said Nadler, doubling down on his previous response.
“This blatantly unconstitutional legislation would provide no appreciable benefit to public safety, while directly infringing on the rights of law-abiding Americans. Its most-predictable effect would be to put the law on the side of predatory criminals and against ordinary people peaceably trying to live their lives,” wrote NRA-ILA of the legislation.
Predictably, the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), demonstrated his ignorance on the Second Amendment. He, like President Joe Biden (D), claims that the Federal Assault Weapons ban “worked” when, in reality, a congressionally mandated study of the legislation’s effect found that it had no impact on crime.
“Democrats know this legislation will not reduce violent crime or reduce the likelihood of mass shootings, but they are obsessed with attacking law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment liberties,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Beyond that provably false claim regarding the efficacy of the ban, Cicilline also said that “[w]e are in the midst of a gun violence epidemic.”
Simply put, guns are not a disease, and those who seek to claim that there is an “epidemic” surrounding the exercise of your rights are doing so to satisfy their own agenda. As Charles C.W. Cooke previously wrote for America’s 1st Freedom, “Contrary to the beliefs of many politicians, there is no provision within the American Constitution that renders its provisions irrelevant if someone says the words ‘public health’ or ‘national security’ or ‘COVID-19.’ On the contrary, the very reason we have a written constitution is to prevent our freedoms from being evaporated every time something unpleasant or alarming happens.”
Anti-gun politicians are no longer hiding the ball when it comes to their anti-gun extremism, so this is not the only anti-Second Amendment bill currently under consideration. In addition to H.R. 1808, the House Judiciary Committee is also looking at H.R. 2814, which would completely repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), something President Biden has stated he’d like to do on multiple occasions.
The PLCAA protects gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits designed to drive them out of business. We’ve written about the importance of the PLCAA numerous times—including here and here.
We’ll keep you updated on the status of these two very troubling pieces of legislation. To get involved, contact your representatives and click here to take action.
