(USNewsMag.com) – In a tweet sent March 15, President Joe Biden stated he is determined to have Congress enact a ban like 1994 on high capacity magazines and assault weapons. He also targets Republicans for allowing the ban to end.
Congress enacted a 10-year ban in 1994 on the transfer or possession, transfer or manufacture of semiautomatic assault weapons as well as high capacity magazines. The ban officially expired Sept. 13, 2004 when Congress could not agree on continuing the ban.
The 1994 ban contained language which included models and make of weapons included in the ban. The ban also included a definition of what was considered a semiautomatic assault weapon. The ban was not just focused on rifles but also included shotguns as well as pistols. The federal law was upheld in court cases.
Though the ban allowed for the Department of Justice to study the impact on crime for 18 months, its impact on violent crime is often debated.
His tweet comes after he signed an executive order March 14 which he says will strengthen background checks. The executive order ensures federal agencies comply with already existing procedures and laws. The executive order also focuses on safe gun storage as well as the gun control legislation passed in 2022. The legislation passed in 2022 was the largest gun control legislation Congress had passed in decades.
During the signing of his executive order he also made a call to Congress to seek re-enacting the ban.
As well as a comment he made about banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines during a March 2 House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference.
Biden has called for Congress to pass legislation regarding red flag laws. In February, the administration stated the Department of Justice Department would give states $231 million which could be used for crisis intervention or red flag laws.
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