On Friday, House Democrats pushed forward legislation that would impose a 1,000 percent excise tax on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
The Assault Weapons Excise Act was introduced by Democratic Representative Don Beyer and was supported by 24 other House Democrats.
NEW: Introducing the Assault Weapon Excise Act.
My bill would impose a 1000% excise tax on the manufacturer, importer, or producer of assault weapons and high capacity magazines. It's designed to bypass the filibuster and win Senate passage with 50 votes.https://t.co/7K813ULBKn pic.twitter.com/gfXTkMIiRg
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) June 14, 2022
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“Congress must take action to stem the flood of weapons of war into American communities, which have taken a terrible toll in Uvalde, Buffalo, Tulsa, and too many other places,” said Beyer. He added, “It is essential that Congress take meaningful action to prevent gun violence, and the bill I am putting forward can cut through the gridlock and get it done.”
Beyer and 37 Democrats proposed the same idea last year when Democrats controlled the House, but it never moved forward.
It is unclear as to whether any changes were made from last year’s version of imposing the same 1000 percent tax on any semi-automatic assault weapon – which “last year’s bill defined as a semiautomatic rifle or pistol with a fixed magazine of 10 rounds or more or that have other various features.”
The change would increase the price of a $500 weapon to $5,000, or a $2,000 valued weapon increasing to a whopping $20,000.
The National Rifle Association and pro-Second Amendment Americans argue that the term “assault weapons” is not a real term but a manipulative tactic to mislead the public and push gun control.
“Gun control advocates’ definition of “assault weapon” varies depending on the source because they cannot collectively agree on how to define it” the website adds. They add: “The key difference is that semi-automatic firearms, such as AR-15s, only fire a single round each time the trigger is pulled. Automatic firearms — including military assault rifles — discharge continually when the trigger is pulled.”
The NRA argues that criminals notoriously obtain their firearms through illegal channels and will never be affected by state and federal laws. “Criminals, by definition, do not obey the law. Gun control laws only affect law-abiding people who go through legal avenues to obtain firearms.”
Although the letter and mainstream outlets falsely claim that gun violence was the leading cause of death in children in 2020, records from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show homicidal firearm deaths came in third for children between five and 18 years old — behind automobile accidents and unintentional drowning, suffocation or poisoning.
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