‘Requiring Would-Be Mass Murderers to Reload Saves Lives’: Rep. Spanberger Makes the Case For Limited Magazine Capacity
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Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who is a former operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency, made the case for limiting magazine capacity in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas elementary school massacre on Tuesday.
Spanberger, who is one of the most policy and bipartisan-oriented members of her party, explained in a Twitter thread how limiting the amounts of bullets a gun can shoot in one round will save lives.
“When I began as a federal agent, I carried a gun and two extra magazines every day,” she began, noting her time at the CIA.
“My mags were marked ‘for law enforcement use only’ because they held more than 10 rounds. At that time, federal law limited magazine capacity to 10 rounds outside of law enforcement use. (1/3),” the congresswoman added.
“That provision was part of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which expired in 2004,” she continued, adding why that was effective legislation:
Large capacity magazines equate to more fatalities when a would-be shooter can fire shot after shot.
Research confirms that limiting magazine capacity saves lives. (2/3)
The sad reality is that requiring would-be mass murderers to reload saves lives — permitting people escape time and law enforcement response time.
This is why I support legislation to limit magazine capacity. (3/3)
The sad reality is that requiring would-be mass murderers to reload saves lives — permitting people escape time and law enforcement response time.
This is why I support legislation to limit magazine capacity. (3/3)
— Rep. Abigail Spanberger (@RepSpanberger) May 25, 2022
In April 2021, a bill called the Keep Americans Safe Act was introduced by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in the Senate and Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Ted Deutch (D-FL), and Dina Titus (D-NV) in the House.
High-capacity magazines are meant for only one thing: high-capacity killing.
Today @RepTedDeutch and I are reintroducing the Keep Americans Safe Act to keep these weapons of war off our streets. Most Americans already support this, now it's time for Congress to catch up. pic.twitter.com/DBRXrhuqH9
— Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) April 14, 2021
The bill would “ban the sale, manufacturing, transfer, possession or importation of high-capacity gun magazines that are capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.”
“There’s no reason why anyone, other than military, needs a gun magazine that holds more than 10 rounds,” DeGette said at the time, days after a deadly shooting in Boulder, Colorado. “It’s past time for Congress to act on commonsense gun-safety measures such as this. Banning the sale of high-capacity magazines in this country will save lives and Congress needs to act on this legislation immediately.”
The bill has been read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, according to Congress.gov.
