The US House of Representatives passed legislation on Friday to revive a ban on some semi-automatic weapons in the first vote of its kind in years and a direct response to firearms often used in mass shootings.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed for the legislation to be passed in the Democratic-run House, saying the previous ban “saved lives,” according to the newspaper.Washington Post“.
President Joe Biden applauded the House vote, saying, “The majority of the American people agree with this reasonable measure,” and urged the Senate to “move quickly to get this bill into my office.”
It is likely, however, that the legislation will stall in a 50-50 Senate.
Republicans avoid the House legislation, dismissing it as an “election year strategy by Democrats.” Almost all Republicans voted against the bill in the House of Representatives, which passed by 217 votes to 213.
Once banned in the United States, high-powered firearms are now widespread as the weapon of choice among the youth responsible for many of the deadliest mass shootings.
The bill comes at a time of rising concerns about gun violence and shootings, as occurred in the supermarket in Buffalo, New York, the massacre of schoolchildren in Ovaldi, Texas, and the July Fourth shooting of revelers in Highland Park, Illinois.