WASHINGTON, D.C. -(Ammoland.com)- After a long day in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808) passed mainly on a party-line vote by a count of 217 for to 214 against the bill.
The Democrats modified the House rules to allow for a vote on the “assault weapons” ban before leaving for their break. The Republicans strongly objected to the change of rules, but the Democrats brushed off their concerns. President Joe Biden has pushed for the ban since taking office.
The ban would see most semi-automatic rifles banned from import, sale, or transfer.
This includes many of the most common firearms in circulation in the country, including AR15 and AK47 pattern firearms. One of the most concerning parts of the anti-gun House bill would ban guns that have a fully automatic version. Since Glock makes the automatic Glock 18, the Glock 19, the most popular handgun in the world, could be banned by the new proposed “assault weapons” ban.
The number of firearms banned by the anti-gun bill is staggering. Millions of guns will be banned from the American public. Even though those firearms that are currently in circulation will be grandfathered from the law, those firearms will not be allowed to be transferred or sold, cutting off the pipeline of modern sporting rifles. The law would put many companies out of business if it were to go into effect, costing thousands of jobs during a recession and record-setting inflation.
Republicans claim that the bill is unconstitutional, citing the Heller decision that said the Second Amendment protects firearms that are in common use. The AR15 is owned by millions of Americans and is the most popular rifle in the country. Republicans challenged Jerry Nadler (D-NY) on this point. Nadler admitted that these firearms are in common use and that banning guns that are in common use is the point of the bill.
Democrats appealed to emotion during the debate over the “assault weapons” bill. Sheila Jackson-Lee brought out props with pictures of mass murder victims when speaking on the floor. Multiple Democrats accused Republicans of being in the “gun lobby” pockets while ignoring their ties to Bloomberg-funded groups such as Everytown, Giffords, and Brady. Republicans accused Democrats of ignoring facts by pointing to the government’s own study that showed that the Clinton-era assault weapons ban did not lower crime.
The bill will also ban standard compacity magazines that hold more than ten rounds. Democrats labeled these magazines as “large compacity” and repeatedly stated that “no one needs more than ten rounds to hunt a deer.”
Some Democrats also claimed that the Second Amendment only applies to the National Guard. The Supreme Court has thoroughly rejected that argument in the Bruen, Heller, and McDonald decisions. Republicans over and over brought up the fact the Democrats were ignoring the ruling of SCOTUS.
The bill is headed to the Senate, where it will face an uphill battle. Republicans can filibuster the bill, and Democrats will need to convince ten Republicans to cross the aisle. There is no time frame for the bill to be taken up by the Senate.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
