For Immediate Release

Bush Flip-Flops on Support for Assault Weapons Ban

JULY 13th, 2004

“It makes no sense for assault weapons to be around our society.” George W. Bush, 2002

On September 13th, two months from now, the 1994 federal Assault Weapons Ban will expire and time is running out for Congress to act with only 14 legislative days remaining. Candidate Bush made a promise that if elected he would support renewing the law. Leah Barrett, Executive Director of CeaseFire Maryland, commented: “Who’s the flip-flopper now? From supporting a ban on assault weapons as a candidate, President Bush, by his inaction, has condemned this ban to death on September 13th. Rather than supporting a bill designed to save lives, Congress is squandering the precious legislative days remaining to debate a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Instead of addressing the real war on America’s streets, our elected leaders have chosen to stir up the culture wars. It’s shameful.”

Semi-automatic civilian assault weapons are killing machines for human beings. Military features such as a high capacity magazine, pistol grip and barrel shroud allow for rapid and accurate spray firing. On top of their lethality, assault weapons look mean which is why they are favored by drug-dealers, mass murderers and other criminals committed to terrorizing and killing their victims.

Since the 1994 law went into effect, gun manufacturers have cynically evaded it by making cosmetic changes to their assault weapons – either by removing a military feature without compromising the gun’s ability to quickly spray large amounts of ammunition, or by replacing components with substitutes not named under federal law (but which serve similar or related functions).

Maryland crime gun tracing data, provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), reveals that criminals have switched from the named banned guns in the 1994 law to their copycats. From 1989-1994, 340 out of 516 assault weapons traces, or 66%, were for named assault weapons such as the AK-47, UZI, AR15, etc., weapons banned by name in the 1994 law. Just 176 traces or 34% were for ‘copycat’ assault weapons, those not expressly banned in the 1994 law, but functionally identical to banned weapons.

Data for the post-ban years 1995 - 2001 shows the exact opposite. 66% of the traces were for ‘copycat’ and other assault weapons not banned by the 1994 law and 34% were for named banned weapons. Barrett said: “A strong and effective federal assault weapons ban is needed and yet we are likely to lose the 1994 limited ban on 19 named weapons. Ever major poll of Americans shows support in the 60-70 percentile range for a complete ban on these weapons of war. The President has betrayed the people’s trust.”

Assault weapons make up less than 5% of all guns in the civilian population but are used in a disproportionate number of cop killings. According to FBI data, at least one in five law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty between 1998 and 2001 was killed with an assault weapon (“Officer Down” – Assault Weapons and the War on Law Enforcement, Violence Policy Center, May 2003). That’s why 59 Maryland police chiefs and sheriffs support not only renewing but strengthening the 1994 law (CeaseFire Maryland survey, June 2004).

With President Bush’s flip-flop on the ban, it will be up to states like Maryland to step up to the plate. Maryland tried to pass an assault rifles ban in the 2004 General Assembly. It would have closed an important gap in our 1994 assault pistols ban. However, Senator John A. Giannetti, Jr. (D- Dist 21) kept the bill from reaching the Senate floor. Lisa Miller Delity, President of CeaseFire Maryland said: “We will back again next year to enact a full ban on assault weapons in Maryland. Change at the federal level will come only when there is new leadership in the White House.”