[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 58 (Thursday, April 10, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 REAUTHORIZING THE ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, a Bureau of Justice Statistics survey 
published in November 2001 reported that almost 7 percent of State 
inmates and more than 9 percent of Federal inmates carried military-
style semiautomatic weapons in carrying out the crime for which they 
were convicted. In 1997, roughly 43 percent of inmates who carried a 
military-style semiautomatic or fully automatic weapon fired it and 
more than 25 percent of them killed or injured their victim.
  Military-style semiautomatic weapons are modifications of traditional 
semiautomatic weapons. They incorporate features intended to give users 
an advantage in combat situations. Such features include but are not 
limited to: pistol grips, folding stocks, bayonet mounts, and flash 
suppressors. The 1994 semiautomatic assault weapons ban prohibited the 
manufacture of semiautomatic weapons that incorporate at least two of 
these military features and accept a detachable magazine. Preexisting 
military-style semiautomatic weapons were not banned.
  The semiautomatic assault weapons ban will expire on Sept. 13, 2004. 
If the law is not reauthorized, the production of military-style 
semiautomatic weapons can legally resume. As the Bureau of Justice 
Statistics study illustrates, the use of military-style semiautomatic 
weapons is already a widely used option for many in the criminal 
population. Restarting production of these weapons will obviously 
increase their number and availability. Such an increase does not bode 
well for public safety.
  It is critical that we reauthorize the semiautomatic assault weapons 
ban. We should not wait for new statistics to demonstrate that more 
criminals are turning to newly manufactured military-style 
semiautomatic weapons. Existing evidence of past behavior is clear. If 
we wait, more damage will already have been done. Military-style 
semiautomatic weapons represent a danger to the lives of police 
officers and the general public. For the safety of our Nation's 
citizens, the Congress should act this year.

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