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Congressman Cohen Questions Experts on Assault Weapons

September 25, 2019

Supports ban on assault weapons and armor piercing ammunition

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a hearing on "Protecting America from Assault Weapons." Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of H.R. 1296, Assault Weapons Ban of 2019. See Congressman Cohen's full exchange with witnesses here.

After the hearing, Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"The perpetrator of the shooting in Dayton, Ohio was able to fire forty-one bullets in thirty-two seconds. Weapons capable of this level of destruction do not belong in our communities or on our streets. I stand with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), many others in the law enforcement community, and 70% of the American people in support of a ban on assault weapons. It is always the right time for Congress to come together and pass common sense gun laws that will keep Americans safe."

On February 6, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee held a historic gun violence prevention hearing. On February 13, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, by a vote of 23-15 and H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019, by a vote of 21-14. The full House passed both of these bills on February 28, 2019. On September 10, 2019 the House Judiciary Committee passed three additional gun reform bills. H.R. 1236, the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019, amended to include provisions from H.R. 3076, passed by a vote of 22-16; H.R.1186, the Keep Americans Safe Act, passed by a vote of 23-16; and H.R.2708, the Disarm Hate Act passed by a vote of 23-15.