Letter to Joe Biden, President of the United States - Following Mass Shooting, Boulder Congressman Joe Neguse Leads Over 60 Lawmakers in Calling for Biden Administration to Ban Importation of Military-Style Assault Weapons

Letter

Dear President Biden,

We write to respectfully request that you issue an Executive Order banning the importation of assault weapons, including semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines, into the United States from abroad.
As our nation battles the health and economic crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we simultaneously must combat the persistent and rising violence caused by access to dangerous firearms. America has suffered seven mass killings in this year alone, including in Atlanta last week and in Boulder just three days ago, where 10 victims tragically lost their lives. In 2020 alone, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, at least 19,379 people needlessly lost their lives due to gun violence, a 25% increase from 2019.1 On the last day of the year alone, at least 20 people were shot and killed in the United States.2 These tragedies have struck cities and towns across the nation, many of which are experiencing record levels of gun violence.3
Given the foregoing public health and safety crises, we ask that you issue an executive order to halt the importation of assault weapons, pursuant to Gun Control Act of 1968, including semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. Studies demonstrate that both assault weapons4 and high-capacity magazines contribute greatly to the lethality of gun violence.5 Banning the import of these weapons will lessen the devastating impact of gun violence in communities across our nation.
We appreciate your commitment to taking executive action to ban the importation of these weapons into the U.S. and urge you to take this life-saving action with the expediency this situation demands.
Thank you for your consideration and efforts to ensure every American is safe.

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