Issue Position: Hometown Security - Assault Weapons Ban

Issue Position

On September 13, 2004, the U.S. House of Representatives allowed the 10-year ban on military style assault weapons to expire. Today, weapons designed for the sole purpose of killing people, such as AK-47s, Uzis and TEC-9s, are now once again legal on our streets. As your Congresswoman, I believe this failure of Congress to act - to not even allow a vote to extend the ban - is terribly wrong, inexcusable and, in my opinion, outrageous.

I believe homeland security starts at home - in Minnesota. So how does allowing the same weapons of death and destruction used by terrorists to be available in our communities make us safer? It doesn't! We all want our families, our communities and our law enforcement officers to be safe or more secure, but for Congress to allow 19 banned models of military style assault weapons back onto America's streets is dangerous and wrongheaded.

President Bush said he supported the extension of the ban but refused to call upon Republican leaders in Congress to act to extend the ban. In fact, Republican leaders and National Rifle Association (NRA) supporters in Congress, according to the Washington Post, now want to repeal more laws that keep communities safe, including:

"…pressing for a vote on his bill (Rep. Mark Souder's), which would remove the District's (District of Columbia) stringent ban on handguns, lift a restriction against semiautomatic weapons, end registration requirements for ammunition and other firearms, and cancel criminal penalties for possessing unregistered firearms and carrying a handgun in one's home or workplace." (Washington Post, September 15, 2004)

Putting more guns on America's streets is wrong, especially as our nation struggles with homeland security, terrorism and crime. While the Republican leadership in Congress listens to the NRA, the pro-assault weapon lobby, it is the overwhelming majority of Americans and law enforcement officials who understand assault weapons have no place on our streets. In fact, a recent Annenberg Survey found that 68% of Americans want Congress to extend the assault weapons ban. This, of course, is just plain common sense.

Keeping military style assault weapons off our streets and out of the hands of terrorists and criminals is a priority I will continue to fight for in Congress. Our families deserve to be safe and feel protected, not terrorized by assault weapons on our streets.

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