Connie Morella: “I rise in support of this initiative to ban certain types of semiautomatic assault weapons that fire rapidly with ease.…”

“I rise in support of this initiative to ban certain types of semiautomatic assault weapons that fire rapidly with ease. These weapons have no sporting use. They are suitable for combat. Recently we received support for the banning of assault weapons by former Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan, and this support reflects their experience in leading the American people. It is also indicative of the bipartisan support which exists for getting these murderous weapons off the streets. We just recently passed the crime bill. The assault weapons ban, together with the crime bill, represents the kind of comprehensive approach needed to address the problems of crime and violence in our society. I would also like to stress again the fact that our colleagues should bear in mind that this is not a partisan issue. We remember that with the support of former President Reagan, President Bush imposed a ban on the importing of assault weapons. Well, following that ban, imported assault weapons traced to crime declined by 45 percent, whereas the domestic assault weapons traced to crime remained the same. Barry Goldwater has affirmed that assault weapons 'have no place in anybody's arsenal.' Jack Kemp endorsed the ban last year, and Gov. William Weld has endorsed legislation to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. In my State of Maryland, the State Police have endorsed this ban.”