Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) will introduce a bill he claims will address gun violence in America following a string of recent mass shootings.
The lawmaker is drafting a measure that would severely curtail the ability of all Americans to purchase semi-automatic sporting rifles by imposing a $1,000 excise tax on them.
“Congress must act to prevent mass shootings,” urged the House Ways and Means Committee member. “I’m writing a bill to restrict the flow of weapons of war into American communities - including AR-15’s and high capacity magazines - that could bypass the filibuster and pass with just 50 votes in the Senate.”
Congress must act to prevent mass shootings.
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) June 5, 2022
I’m writing a bill to restrict the flow of weapons of war into American communities - including AR-15’s and high capacity magazines - that could bypass the filibuster and pass with just 50 votes in the Senate:https://t.co/dXFRFftYxu
New AR-15-style guns range from $500 to over $2,000 depending on location, NBC News reported. That means a 1,000% tax on the weapon would add $5,000 to $20,000 to their final sales price — and would probably keep it out of reach from many younger Americans.
Some details of the bill still aren't finalized, such as when the tax would kick in and what to do with any revenue raised. It's also unclear how much money it would generate. One out of every five weapons purchased in the US in AR-15 style rifle, per the National Shooting Sports Foundation in a 2014 court brief. Gun sales have surged since then and reached their second-highest level recorded last year.
Law enforcement agencies and the US military wouldn't be subject to the tax, Beyer said. The legislation would also apply only to future assault weapon sales — and not to the 20 million AR-15-style rifles already estimated to be in circulation across the US. Other guns used for hunting and other recreational purposes would also be exempt.
Bullets wouldn't be subject to the new tax. But high-capacity magazines that can carry more than 10 rounds of ammunition would be aggressively taxed at that level. (Business Insider)
The Democrat was criticized for taking a position that means only the wealthy would have access.
Unapologetically just leaning into the fact that gun control will only ever affect the poor and marginalized. https://t.co/AU2GjNIH8Y
— Latino Rifle Association (@LatinoRifleOrg) June 6, 2022
stephen paddock, the guy that flattened the entire las vegas strip, died a millionaire. You are not going to be able to slow this down by trying to "hit them in the wallet". The Uvalde shooter was sold like $12k of guns and ammo on his 18th birthday. credit is available. https://t.co/IedlXkxu9W
— Triangle Shitpost Factory (@jonny290) June 5, 2022
Earlier I said that gun control won’t affect me because I have money. Gun control is a direct attack on all working class people of every race, gender, faith. It will primarily target minorities. Why does @RepDonBeyer want the disenfranchised not to be armed? #1A #2A https://t.co/IHWxVuscNq
— Andrew Claudio (@AndrewClaudio9) June 6, 2022
Always interesting how antigunners' backup policy if they can't ban guns is to ban poor people from having them https://t.co/3kxXmAxSkz
— Firearms Policy Coalition (@gunpolicy) June 5, 2022
The measure is meant to go nowhere, and to be struck down by the courts in ten seconds flat if it did. https://t.co/ivMAx8wZwD
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) June 5, 2022