(Headline USA) A group of House Democrats unveiled their new gun control strategy last week, which includes a 1000% tax on all “assault-style weapons.”
More than two dozen Democrats, all members of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, signed a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Friday, demanding that he bring their proposed bill to the floor for a vote “as soon as possible.”
Their demand comes after House leadership canceled votes on what was supposed to be the final legislative day before Congress’s August recess.
“We are disappointed that Republican leadership canceled votes in July with so many pressing issues facing our country. Foremost amongst those is the gun violence crisis that is the leading cause of death for children in America,” the letter reads.
One of the policies proposed in the task force’s bill is a 1,000% excise tax, which places a duty on the product when it is manufactured, on all “assault-style” rifles. A previous version of the proposal also subjected magazines or related devices that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition to the tax.
In other words, a firearm that normally costs $2,000 would cost customers more than $20,000 if this bill passes.
Under the bill, a “semiautomatic assault weapon” is defined as a semi-automatic rifle or pistol with a magazine of 10 rounds or more.
“As Members of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, we call on you to schedule votes on gun violence prevention legislation as soon as possible this year,” the lawmakers said. “We also have a new standing request that should the vote schedule fall apart again, you would fill that time to vote on life-saving gun violence prevention legislation, instead of canceling votes altogether.”
Democrats proposed this same bill last year when their party controlled the House — but it never moved.
