Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Seth Moulton (D-MA) on Tuesday introduced legislation to ban bump stocks and other devices used on semi-automatic weapons to emulate the firing speed of fully automatic weapons.
The legislation has 20 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, 10 from each party.
The three-page bill would “prohibit the manufacture, possession, or transfer of any part or combination of parts that is designed and functions to increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but does not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machinegun, and for other purposes.”
Law enforcement officials found multiple bump stocks in the hotel room of the alleged gunman behind the shooting massacre in Las Vegas on Oct. 1. Dozens were killed and hundreds wounded when Stephen Craig Paddock allegedly opened fire on an outdoor music festival, firing semi-automatic weapons at rates approaching those of machine guns.
The two primary co-sponsors announced their efforts on Thursday.
In a statement, Moulton said “We can always be doing more, but this bill is a crucial starting point.”
And Curbelo called the bill “common-sense legislation” to “ban devices that blatantly circumvent already existing law without restricting Second Amendment rights.”
“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,” he said.
The bill’s 20 original co-sponsors are, by party: Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Peter King (R-NY), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Patrick Meehan (R-PA), Ed Royce (R-CA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Erik Paulsen (R-MN), Ryan Costello (R-PA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Ruben Kihuen (D-NV), John Delaney (D-MD), Gene Green (D-TX)
Read Curbelo and Moulton’s legislation below:
I’m sticking with thoughts and prayers as the route to ending gun violence.
It won’t stop 100% of shootings, so it is a waste of time.
Yes, Josh, it’s ridiculous that everyone is applauding a move towards the smallest effect possible when it comes to gun violence… but it’s a step. And after the next mass murder, we can (hopefully) take another step. And then another.
Ridding this country of the influence of the gun lobby is going to cost a lot of innocent blood.
Nice to see the GOP finally coming around to something Democrats have been trying to push since at least Sandy Hook.