Senators Warner and Kaine spearhead push for new assault weapons ban

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - An epidemic of mass shootings in the United States is fueling a renewed push in Washington D.C. for the next generation of assault weapons ban.

The ban is spearheaded by Democratic senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. Warner says that the United States needs to revisit a Clinton Era set of restrictions on assault weapons, add new supporting elements, and get it done soon.

“The sooner we get this behind us the better,” Warner said. “We’ve all seen the awfulness of these recent shootings in California, and I for one am tired of elected officials, who want to simply send thoughts and prayers.”

Warner, a gun owner himself, believes in a level of restriction.

“That’s why I and Senator Tim Kaine reintroduced our assault weapon ban,” Warner said.

Originally enacted in 1994 to keep military-style assault weapons out of civilian hands, the federal ban expired, as spelled out in the law, ten years later in 2004.

“It didn’t stop every kind of violent crime in some of these heinous shootings, but the number of shootings taking place with assault weapons during that period is clearly less than what’s happened going forward,” Warner said. “Let me be first to acknowledge that reasonable restrictions on guns isn’t going to do it alone. You need substantial investment in mental health.”

Warner is hoping to see more unity in the General Assembly. He says gun control needs all the bipartisan support it can get.

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