An assault weapons ban could pass Congress right now, according to Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch, who represents Parkland, Fla.
Rep. Deutch plans to introduce legislation later this week and says both sides of the aisle seem to agree that “this is the moment we need to get these weapons of war off the streets.”
“I don’t know how many votes there are,” says Deutch. “But I do know that...there are lots of Republicans and Democrats that I know for whom this is now the single issue that matters to them.”
That includes some Republicans who have never supported an assault weapons ban before, he tells Cheddar.
This rare moment of bipartisanship appears to be a direct consequence of the national #NeverAgain movement, led by the teenage survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., who have been pushing for new gun control measures.
An assault weapons ban doesn’t necessarily contradict the Second Amendment, according to Deutch, which increases its likelihood of passing.
“We know that the Second Amendment has limitations: you can’t own a machine gun, you can’t own a bazooka, you can’t own a tank,” he says.
However, research from the Department of Justice doesn’t indicate that an assault weapons ban would make a difference to gun crime rates. If a ban like the one implemented from 1994 to 2004 was put back into place, the results on gun violence are likely to be “small at best,” says the report.
The teenage survivors of Parkland have organized marches for gun control across the country on March 24.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rep-ted-deutch-d-fl-calls-proposal-to-arm-teachers-a-distraction).
Former Texas Republican Congressman Will Hurd announced he is running for president.
The Supreme Court ruled that a man convicted to 27 years in prison on gun charges won't be able to challenge his conviction.
A Florida judge has struck down a ruling that banned Medicaid payments for transgender healthcare in the state.
A Moscow court on Thursday ruled that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich must remain in jail on espionage charges until at least late August, rejecting the American journalist’s appeal to be released.
The Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation on Thursday in a dispute involving water from the drought-stricken Colorado River.
A resolution to impeach President Joe Biden is likely to face a House vote this week as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy remains opposed to it right now.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito accepted a 2008 trip to a luxury fishing lodge in Alaska from two wealthy Republican donors, one of whom repeatedly had interests before the court, and he did not disclose the trips on his financial disclosure for that year, ProPublica reports.
President Joe Biden made his first public comments about his son Hunter Biden's plea deal with federal prosecutors on two misdemeanor tax charges. This follows several critical comments by Republicans, who blasted the agreement as a "sweetheart deal."
A federal judge struck down Arkansas' first-in-the-nation ban on gender-affirming care for children as unconstitutional Tuesday, the first ruling to overturn such a prohibition as a growing number of Republican-led states adopt similar restrictions.
Climate change is on trial in Montana. In a landmark case, 16 young people are suing the state over effects like smoke, heat, and drought. It's just the first in a series of cases intended to pressure lawmakers into taking action on the environment. Here with more is Cheddar News Senior Reporter Chloe Aiello.
