While the legislation is highly unlikely to pass the Senate, House Democrats say the bill is a needed response to recent mass shootings.
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The House passed legislation Friday that would ban assault weapons for the first time since 2004, in a sign that Democrats intend to pursue more aggressive gun violence prevention measures after a spate of mass shootings.
The bill passed in a largely party-line vote of 217-213, with two Republicans voting for the measure and five Democrats opposing it.
The level of GOP opposition indicates the bill is unlikely to advance in the evenly split Senate, where it would require the support of at least 10 Republicans to defeat a guaranteed filibuster.
It’s also not clear if the measure has the support of all 50 Senate Democrats.
The legislation, authored by Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., would criminalize the knowing sale, manufacture, transfer, possession or importation of many types of semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices.
During floor debate before Friday’s vote, House Democrats argued an assault weapons ban was needed because of the number of recent shootings where gunmen have used assault-style weapons.