Political Quotes

“I rise to give an update on military- style assault weapons and their use in the United States. Last November, the U.S. Senate considered and passed by a vote of 56 to 43 legislation to ban the sale, possession, and future manufacture of 19 semiautomatic assault weapons and their copycat versions. On February 24, I provided the Senate with the first of a series of updates on shootings and other incidents across America since the Senate began consideration of this legislation. I rise today to provide the second update. Despite the NRA's contention that assault weapons constitute but a fraction of the 15,377 gun murders in 1992--per FBI Uniform Crime Reports--the fact is that a steady stream of assault weapons are available to the drug dealers, grievance killers, cop killers, and drive-by shooters--many of them youngsters--who terrorize our communities. The fact is that, today, virtually anyone can obtain a weapon that was designed for military purposes--to kill large numbers of people in close combat. A weapon which often can be easily concealed, and which can pump out 30 bullets in just a few seconds. Every week brings with it incidents in which innocent people are mowed down--in offices, restaurants, bars, trains, tax offices, shopping malls, schools, parks, markets, and even in their own homes. No place is safe from these weapons of war and those who use them.”