Representative Cicilline Joins Representative McCarthy to Introduce Bill Banning High-Capacity Ammunition Magazines

Statement

U.S. Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) today joined U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY04) and leading national advocates for reducing gun violence to discuss the introduction of legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines such as that used in the tragic shooting in Tucson, AZ.

The bill, sponsored by Congressman McCarthy and of which Congressman Cicilline is an original co-sponsor, was scheduled to be formally introduced in the House of Representatives later in the evening. It is being carried in the Senate by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who will introduce it later this month.

The bill brings the nation to the same 10-round-maximum standard used in four other states today, as well as nationwide for a decade while the previous federal assault weapons ban was in effect. It closes a gaping loophole in the previous ban in which magazines manufactured before the law went into effect could still be sold or transferred.

At the press conference, Rep Cicilline said: "One of the greatest threats to peace in our communities today is gun violence. It is time for us to revisit our nation's gun laws. As the former Mayor of Providence, I have worked hard to reduce gun violence, and was a founding member of the Mayors' Coalition against Illegal Guns. In 2009, we made several recommendations for federal consideration specifically designed to prevent attacks like the one in Tucson. Representative McCarthy's bill, which I am proud to co-sponsor, gets to the heart of these recommendations by banning these dangerous weapons of mass terror."

"I know what it's like to have tragedy brought to your life in a split second by a madman with high-capacity ammunition magazines," said Rep. McCarthy, whose husband was killed and son seriously wounded by a gunman on the Long Island Railroad in 1993. "I'm working to stop it from happening again. We need comprehensive reform to reduce the number of people hurt or killed by gunfire in America, but one simple way we can do that is by keeping the worst tools of mass murder away from the general public. This nation has come together before to support this simple, commonsense measure, and it is the law in several states right now. It is a small sacrifice that law-abiding gun owners can make once again in order to increase everyone's safety."

The bill, which was distributed to House members on Thursday before the holiday weekend, is being introduced with 42 co-sponsors (list below).

The following 42 House members are original co-sponsors of the bill as of the afternoon of Jan. 18:

Rep. Gary Ackerman

Rep. Robert Brady

Rep. Steve Cohen

Rep. Judy Chu

Rep. David Cicilline

Rep. William Lacy Clay

Rep. Gerald Connolly

Rep. John Conyers

Rep. Donna Edwards

Rep. Keith Ellison

Rep. Anna Eshoo

Rep. Sam Farr

Rep. Jane Harman

Rep. Alcee Hastings

Rep. Jim Himes

Rep. Mazie Hirono

Rep. Chris Van Hollen

Rep. Rush Holt

Rep. Mike Honda

Rep. Steve Israel

Rep. James Langevin

Rep. Nita Lowey

Rep. Carolyn Maloney

Rep. Doris Matsui

Rep. Betty McCollum

Rep. Jim McGovern

Rep. Gregory Meeks

Rep. George Miller

Rep. James Moran

Rep. Jerrold Nadler

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton

Rep. Bill Pascrell

Rep. Chellie Pingree

Rep. Mike Quigley

Rep. Jose Serrano

Rep. Brad Sherman

Rep. Jackie Spear

Rep. Louise Slaughter

Rep. John Yarmuth

Rep. Henry Waxman

Rep. Maxine Waters

Rep. Anthony Weiner

Source