July 29, 2022

Rep. Vargas Votes to Save Lives and Ban Assault Weapons

WASHINGTON, D.C (July 29, 2022) — Today, Congressmember Juan Vargas voted to pass the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022. This legislation would prohibit the sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, in turn saving lives and making communities safer.

“It’s an honor to vote for this landmark legislation and help make our nation’s stores, churches, and schools safer,” said Rep. Vargas. “From Sandy Hook to Uvalde, mass shootings have taken far too many innocent lives. These all-too-common tragedies are preventable, and this legislation is an important step forward in ensuring that military-style assault weapons stay out of the hands of dangerous individuals. These weapons don’t just kill – they slaughter. They have no place in our schools or on our streets. While Republicans are putting politics over people, my Democratic colleagues and I are working to save lives and keep our communities safe.”

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2022- would gradually reduce the prevalence of the deadliest tactical weapons. Eight of the ten deadliest mass shootings in recent American history have involved an assault weapon, which would have been banned under this legislation. Other important provisions in the bill include:

The prohibition does not apply to the possession, sale or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon lawfully possessed on the date of enactment (a grandfathered semiautomatic assault weapon);
The bill allows for the transfer of grandfathered semiautomatic assault weapons through a federal firearms licensee following a background check using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS);
The bill requires that semiautomatic assault weapons be securely stored so that they are not accessible to those who are prohibited from possessing them;
The bill allows states to use Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funds for voluntary buyback programs for semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines;
And the bill is intended to gradually reduce the prevalence of the deadliest tactical weapons, while containing numerous provisions that protect the rights of hunters, gun collectors, farmers, sport shooters, and those who use firearms for self-defense.

The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration.

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Vargas represents California’s 51st Congressional District which includes the southern portion of San Diego County, all of Imperial County and California’s entire U.S.-Mexico border. Vargas was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and is currently serving his fifth term in Congress. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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