Dear Mr. Gtscotty:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban. Your taking the time to contact me is appreciated.
As a parent and grandparent, there are no words to describe my grief at the senseless loss of life at Sandy Hook Elementary School. My deepest sympathy goes out to the Newtown, Connecticut community, and all of the victims, families, and loves ones of this horrible tragedy. I join the rest of the nation in offering my prayers to all of those impacted.
In response to this and other tragic and high-profile acts of violence, there is a renewed focus on this expired legal provision. I believe that Congress will have an extensive and detailed debate about all of the potential causes of these tragic crimes, including mental health issues, depictions of violence in television, movies, and video games, and firearms. Your comments are important, and I will remember them as the debate moves forward.
On September of 1994, Congress passed and President Clinton signed into law the "Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act" (P.L. 103-322). This legislation prohibited the sale of certain semi-automatic weapons, often referred to as the assault weapons. On September 13, 2004 the ban expired.
I have always been a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights, and I will continue to ensure the rights of gun owners will not be further infringed upon. We must make certain that the rights and freedoms of law-abiding citizens are not infringed upon. I believe that the ability of sportsmen, hunters, gun enthusiasts and citizens concerned with their personal safety to own a gun, whether for sport or protection is clearly defined in the Constitution and must not be compromised.
I know that dialogue regarding acts of violence will likely result in a wide range of legislative proposals seeking to address the underlying causes. As these pieces of legislation come before me in the Senate, I will keep your thoughts in mind.
