Mike Levin: “In 1994 President Clinton signed into law a ban on the production of certain semiautomatic assault weapons and…”

“In 1994 President Clinton signed into law a ban on the production of certain semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The 1994 law banned a list of 19 specific weapons as well as a number of other weapons incorporating certain design characteristics, such as bayonets and pistol grips. This law is scheduled to sunset on September 13, 2004. If the law is not reauthorized, the production of military-style semiautomatic weapons can legally resume. In March of this year, in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General John Ashcroft indicated the Bush administration's support for the current ban on assault weapons but would not indicate support for reauthorization of the ban. Recently, the White House indicated the President does support reauthorizing the ban. However, a senior White House adviser reportedly said that this bill would never make it to the President's desk. And a spokesperson for House Majority Leader Tom Delay recently said 'we have no intentions of bringing it up.' Failure to reauthorize the legislation would be irresponsible because the assault weapon ban works.”