Washington, D.C. – Congressmen Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) introduced bipartisan legislation to ban the manufacture, sale, and use of “bump stocks” and similar devices.The legislation would also make violation of the law a felony and allow for increased penalties for offenders through a review of federal sentencing guidelines. The perfectly bipartisan effort has 20 original co-sponsors – 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
“I am proud to be leading on the only bipartisan effort to take action in the wake of this tragedy,” said Moulton. “We can always be doing more, but this bill is a crucial starting point. Congress needs to take a serious look, after every crisis, at whether a law consistent with the 2nd Amendment would have prevented it. It is time for Democrats and Republicans alike to find the courage to act. Keeping this conversation going, passing this legislation, and listening to the American people will allow us to help make America safer so that we do not need to live in fear of weapons of war being used against our families and friends.”
“For the first time in decades, there is growing bipartisan consensus for sensible gun policy, a polarizing issue that has deeply divided Republicans and Democrats,” Curbelo said. “This common-sense legislation will ban devices that blatantly circumvent already existing law without restricting Second Amendment rights. I’m proud to join Representative Moulton to lead our colleagues in this important first step to address gun violence in our country and show that Congress is capable of working constructively in a bipartisan way to make Americans safer.”
The legislation is available here. Original co-sponsors include:
Republicans
Carlos Curbelo (FL-26)
Peter King (NY-2)
Leonard Lance (NJ-7)
Patrick Meehan (PA-7)
Ed Royce (CA-39)
Chris Smith (NJ-4)
Erik Paulsen (MN-3)
Ryan Costello (PA-6)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27)
Charlie Dent (PA-15)
Democrats
Seth Moulton (MA-6)
Jared Polis (CO-2)
Robin Kelly (IL-2)
Jacky Rosen (NV-3)
Beto O’Rourke (TX-16)
Matt Cartwright (PA-17)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2)
Ruben Kihuen (NV-4)
John Delaney (MD-6)
Gene Green (TX-29)
“Bump stocks” are devices that use a semi-automatic weapon’s recoil to allow rapid fire at a rate mirroring that of a fully automatic weapon — 400 to 800 rounds a minute. These devices are legal, unregulated, widely available, and can be purchased online for as little as $100. Their sole purpose is to exacerbate the rate of fire.
