Dianne Feinstein

I feel these so-called assault weapons that have certain characteristics should fall in that category and be banned.

So that is the point of the video.

I just cannot believe that that could happen. Those weapons were used on the battlefields of Vietnam.

It is not time for feel-good legislation so you can say you did something, but it is time for a true discussion on the culture of violence and how to prevent more violent crime.

We cannot allow the carnage I have described to continue without taking action on what is a serious matter of public policy.

That horrific event shocked our Nation to its roots, and the pictures of these little victims brought tears to the eyes of millions of Americans.

I would argue that the law is fundamentally broken when almost no one gets prosecuted.

The gunmen used a TEC-9 assault pistol and several large-capacity magazines, all of which would be banned by this legislation.

The intent of the bill in 1994 to 2004 was to dry up supply over time.

Unfortunately, that law had a 10-year sunset, and Congress failed to renew it when it expired in 2004.

We are holding today's hearing because the massacre in Newtown was, sadly, not an anomaly.

One of the most effective and important elements of existing Federal law is a provision that prohibits people with domestic violence misdemeanor as well as felony convictions from owning a weapon.

Since the ban expired, over 350 people have been killed with assault weapons.

On December 14th, 20 sets of parents received a call no parent ever wants to receive: that they would never see their son or daughter again.

The need for a Federal ban has never been greater.

We need to tighten that up in many instances.

I have joined with many of my colleagues... to introduce legislation to prohibit the sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

The way the Department implements sequestration, therefore, has a major impact on our intelligence capabilities.

We will lose 2 million jobs, 1 million on the defense side and 1 million on the domestic side of the budget, if we don't deal with this.

I find it really beginning to happen in California.

I happen to believe, next to a major war, economically, it is the worst thing that could happen for this country, and we should end it.

It is a bad, bad phenomenon, and it ought to end before it really catches hold of America and does a great deal of damage.

California will lose the most jobs by far of any State.

Let me bring up something that I bring up at every hearing, and that is the Visa Waiver Program.

I think you have been just excellent, and I want you to know that.