Assault Weapon Buy-Back Bill Introduced
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — A Democratic congresswoman from Connecticut, the state where the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school occurred last month, has introduced legislation for an assault weapon buy-back program.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro put forward a bill this week that would provide gun owners with an $1,000 tax credit for two straight years in exchange for turning in assault rifles to state police.
DeLauro’s bill, dubbed the SAFER (Support Assault Firearm Elimination and Reduction) Street Act, comes as Vice President Joe Biden heads a White House task force aimed at addressing gun violence. Biden presented his recommendations to President Obama Tuesday, and the president is set to make his own plan public within the coming week.
“Assault weapons are not about hunting or even self-defense, and they should be off the streets,” DeLauro wrote in a news release. “There is no reason on earth, other than to kill as many people as possible in a very short period of time that anyone needs a gun designed for military purposes.”
The congresswoman also supports a broader ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and universal background checks on all rifle purchases.
While there are many new proposals in Congress to tighten gun laws following the Sandy Hook shooting, whether DeLauro’s bill stands a chance of passing remains to be seen.
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