Durbin, Duckworth Help Unveil Bill To Raise Minimum Age To Buy Assault Weapons
WASHINGTON – On the seventh anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) in announcing legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21, the same age requirement that already applies to purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers. Individuals under 21 have used assault weapons in some of the most devastating school shootings in U.S. history, including the mass shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.“Gun violence continues to shatter families and communities throughout America. Our existing laws allow far too many guns to fall into the wrong hands. That is why I’m signing onto the Age 21 Act, which prohibits the sale of assault weapons, handguns, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and related ammunition to individuals under the age of 21,” said Durbin. “This legislation is one of many steps we must take to address the gun violence epidemic across the United States.”
“Congress cannot sit by and do nothing while gun violence remains the number one killer of children in America,” said Duckworth. “As we remember the 17 lives cut short at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, we must honor their memory with action. The Age 21 Act is commonsense gun safety legislation that would help prevent mass shootings and do more to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who would seek to harm themselves or others. If Republicans were truly ‘pro-life,’ they would support our bill and help us save lives.”
Gun violence is a national crisis, claiming over 46,000 lives in 2023 — the third-largest number of gun-related deaths in American history. Assault weapons, originally engineered for military combat to maximize damage, are frequently used in mass shootings because of their ability to inflict catastrophic harm in mere seconds. More than 85 percent of deaths in public mass shootings involving four or more fatalities were caused by assault rifles. Furthermore, shootings involving assault weapons or large-capacity magazines result in more than 2.5 times as many people being shot compared to incidents involving other firearms.
The bill’s restrictions on the sale of assault weapons, handguns, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and related ammunition to individuals under the age of 21 would apply to both federally licensed and private sellers. Additionally, the legislation would bar most individuals under 21 from possessing these items, with limited exceptions for specific circumstances such as service in law enforcement or the armed forces.
In addition to Durbin, Duckworth, and Padilla, the Age 21 Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The Age 21 Act is endorsed by organizations including Brady: United Against Gun Violence, March for Our Lives, Giffords, Newtown Action Alliance, and Everytown for Gun Safety.
Durbin and Duckworth are fierce advocates for common-sense gun safety legislation that would help save lives. Durbin and Duckworth were strong supporters of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which cracks down on straw purchasing and gun trafficking, expands background checks for buyers under 21 years of age, takes steps to close the “boyfriend loophole,” supports state red flag laws, and offers billions in funding for counseling, mental health, and trauma support for victims of gun violence. Durbin and Duckworth are also continuing to push for the Assault Weapons Ban and additional gun safety measures.
While Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin held a full committee hearing on public safety and gun safety laws in a post-Bruen America; filed an amicus brief in opposition to legal challenges in U.S. v. Rahimi, in which the Supreme Court ultimately ruled to uphold a ban on firearm possession for domestic violence offenders; condemned the Supreme Court decision in Garland v. Cargill, which ruled a bump stock does not convert a rifle into a machine gun; and introduced legislation to curb firearms trafficking enabled by weak American gun laws, among other efforts.
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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